


Not Just a Pretty Voice

by longhairshortfuse



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Librarians, M/M, Reptile anatomy, Sexual Content, Shower Sex, Superpowers, Tentacles, This Is STUPID, occasional porn, pterodactyls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-26
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-02-14 21:44:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 65,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2204160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longhairshortfuse/pseuds/longhairshortfuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Night Vale is an unusual place and unusual skills and powers are helpful for survival.<br/>Cecil has The Voice, a power he is still exploring. Earl is The Scout Master and, man, that guy can do <i>everything</i>.</p><p>Carlos is an outsider. He's got nothing and he's going to need a lot of saving before he can save the town in return.</p><p>(more tags as I add chapters)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Just Friends

Cecil read the prophecy wording again. He did this every year on his birthday, the only day he was allowed into the Prophecy Room at City Hall, just in case it had changed. Words did change in Night Vale, they changed their meaning and their sound and their spelling on the page. Perhaps that was why the City Council had eventually banned writing implements. It was so much easier to control what was written and what it was allowed to mean if nobody was allowed to write.

The words on the first page had not changed. They never changed. Ever since he had been taken to City Hall so long ago by... someone he barely remembered but she had kind eyes until... Aah. Best not to think about some things. Had it really been twenty years? But the second page was new. Cecil read it carefully, slowly and silently, testing the sound of the sentences in his head, internally investigating every possible meaning of the phrases on the page. When he thought he had the gist of it, he risked reading it aloud.

_The Voice of Night Vale shall, when required to protect his interests inasmuch as his interests intersect with the interests of the people of Night Vale, be endowed with additional powers. These powers may only be used for the purpose aforementioned and may be revoked immediately and without prior notice. The powers that may be granted as the XXXXXX see fit include some or all of the following:..._

Cecil skipped over the obliterated text and read the list, finger following the lines and lips moving slightly with the powerful words. When he finished reading he looked up, grinned excitedly at the empty room and said, "Neat!" 

He was so taken with the idea of developing powers beyond _The Voice_ that he had been practising with such an unexpectedly challenging effect on Earl that he almost did not notice the third page of his prophecy contract.  
 _The Voice will, in the fullness of time, encounter a Tall Dark Stranger. The Voice must save the saviour of Night Vale. Repeatedly._  
Cecil trembled with joy and anticipation. A genuine, bona fide Tall Dark Stranger! He took out his phone. Oh, who could he tell?  
Cecil scrolled down his contacts list. Most were work related, interns and his producer, or random acquaintances. There was Earl but he wasn't about to ruin a good thing, his flirting might be paying off at last, and Josie. But there are some things you just don't discuss with polite old ladies even if you have heard them cuss like a pirate and witter on about angels after too much of Steve's home-brew. Steve... No, Absolutely not. The ass would just spoil everything.  
As he shuffled the papers back into order to hand them back for filing, he noticed a line that gradually appeared at the bottom of the page. An asterisk drew itself next to the word _saviour_ and in a footnote, in tiny text, the words, _You can't miss him, he's a scientist and totally hot. We think you'll like him._

So Cecil's new powers remained a secret.  
Effectively they were also a secret from Cecil himself as the wording implied that power would be bestowed as and when required so he couldn't practise like he did with his Voice. He thought about that for a few moments then called Earl. It was never quite as effective over the phone as it was in person, but worth a shot.  
"Hi Earl, it's Cecil. Are you busy tonight?"  
"Uh, yeah, got scouts until nine but I'm free after. Happy birthday, by the way. Sorry I didn't get you anything again."  
 _"Let's meet up for a drink."_  
"Cecil, stop it. I can tell. I am Scout Leader and that gives me a certain immunity from influence. Every time you try it, I get a little bit more resistant."  
Cecil sighed. "Aw, I was just playing. I wasn't going to make you do anything embarrassing, like..."  
Earl giggled. "Stop, I don't want to remember that. But if you ask nicely, just as yourself, I might be able to slip you in later."  
 _"EARL!"_ Cecil sniggered.  
"To my busy schedule, I mean." Earl hung up, grinning, and waited.

Cecil gave his prophecy contract back to the desk clerk then trotted out of the building into the square. He called Earl again.  
"Hi Earl. You mad with me?"  
" 'Course not, I know you want to practice your Voice just like I want to practice my... skills."  
"About tonight, I thought we could just meet up for a drink."  
Earl rolled his eyes. "Just a drink?"  
"Ah c'mon, _trust me_ I'll be good."  
"Oh okay then... HEY cutitoutman. I am getting mad at you now."  
Earl gave in after a show of reluctance and arranged to meet his friend at nine-thirty at the bar nearest to his apartment.

Cecil was already there when Earl arrived, two beers on the counter. Earl perched on a barstool next to Cecil, punched his arm and downed half of his beer in one gulp.  
"Tough session with the scouts?"  
"Hell yes. New recruits. You remember what you were like? These are worse. Seriously, they couldn't tell a bend from a hitch."  
Cecil ignored the minor slight. _"I was a good scout."_  
Earl downed the rest of his drink and burst out laughing. "You have to be at least plausible, bro, you can't use the Voice to lie like that!"  
Cecil laughed and waved Earl's empty glass at the barman, but Earl shook his head and did the hand-over-glass gesture that means no more thanks in every language.  
"Gotta keep trying though. Want to go back to yours and, um, practise your ...talent?"  
Earl grinned and nodded.

It was never just a drink. They both knew that, it was their code and they both used it when they wanted to practise their powers on each other. Alcohol first helped, but not too much.  
Earl sat Cecil on a kitchen chair and secured his hands behind his back.  
"Is that okay? Can you move your arms enough?"  
"Yes, it's secure without being painful."  
"Let me know if you feel any tingling or get a dead arm or anything."  
"Okay. Got any new skills developing?"  
Earl busied himself securing Cecil's ankles to the chair legs. "Yeah, I caught a coyote at the weekend camp. I saw it, thought really hard about scratching it's head behind the ears and it kind of sidled up to me. But I was so surprised I lost concentration and it ran away like I'd lit its fur on fire."  
"I might be getting some new powers. I used to get jealous because you got all this cool scouting stuff and I only got the Voice and it's weakened over the radio or the phone, but there were extra... was an extra page on my prophecy today."

The two friends giggled and speculated about what Cecil's new powers might be and when they might manifest as Earl finished his knots.  
"Still comfortable?"  
"Yeah, this is fine. I can't move my hands or feet and I can't stand up, but it's not painful."  
"Oh good. How much can you see?"  
Cecil lied. "Nothing at all."  
He could feel the blindfold on his face and saw only blackness when he opened his eyes. But when he closed them he could see Earl. Not his face, not his thoughts exactly, but he could see a little of what Earl was feeling. He laughed.  
"Earl?"  
"Uh-huh?"  
"Is this turning you on a little?"

Earl froze. He looked at Cecil, his best friend, trussed to the little wooden chair and laughing at him. "What?"  
"No, no, no, please don't be embarrassed, shit I couldn't help it. This is new! I got a new power!"  
"So you think you can read my mind?"  
"No, I can tell how you feel, like I can see your emotions but only when I close my eyes. You were feeling a bit horny then I laughed and you got scared and embarrassed and maybe a bit... angry. I'm so sorry, Earl, I didn't mean to... I wasn't laughing at you..."  
"Shut up, Palmer."  
"I was laughing because...."  
"Shut UP, Palmer"  
"...by coincidence..."  
"SHUT UP!"  
"...every time you practise, um, restraint on me I wish you were a little less, um, restrained."

Cecil felt the blindfold being removed and opened his eyes. The sensation of confusion and disbelief was pushed away by the sight of Earl's eyes boring into his.  
"Are you telling me that all these times I've tied you up and wondered about... " Earl couldn't even say it.  
"I was thinking it too. But I didn't know that you..."  
Earl untied Cecil. "I need to think about this. I mean... this," he gestured back and forth between himself and his friend, "not that..." pointing to the chair and the coiled ropes on the floor.  
Earl turned away and Cecil closed his eyes, concentrated. Fear, confusion, maybe a little... excitement? hope?  
Cecil stepped over to Earl and touched his arm lightly. "Are you okay?"  
Earl wouldn't look round. "I'm not gay, you know. I mean, I went out with Sarah for ages and she was nice. So I can't be gay and we're just friends who joke around. The stuff we say to each other, that's just banter. Right?"  
Cecil stepped in and hugged Earl. He closed his eyes for a moment and said, "you don't have to _be_ anything. Except Earl, you have to be Earl." 

Cecil sensed Earl's discomfort and let him go.  
"Um, I should probably go. Can I call you later, or will you call me? I think we might have some stuff to talk about."  
Earl still didn't want to look at Cecil.  
"Are you mad at me? Earl?"  
"Can't you just shut your eyes and find out?"  
Cecil sighed. "I'm really sorry. I never meant to make you feel bad. Not ever."  
Earl looked at Cecil at last. "You can't tell anyone about your new power. It made me freak out and I'm a Scout forfucksake and I'm still freaking out. How would a normal person take it? Mmh? You better go, call me tomorrow when I've calmed down."  
Cecil nodded. That was all good advice. 


	2. Luftnarp & Svitz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earl and Cecil have that awkward conversation, but will they still be friends?

Cecil could remember the first time he realised the potential power he had with his voice. It was at school. Earl and Sarah had taken him out for lunch for his seventeenth birthday to meet their friend, some girl or guy whose name he didn't remember now, they had tried to set him up so often. They were not allowed off-campus without a letter from a parent, which was a problem for Cecil.  
On the way out, the hall prefect had stopped them and asked to see their passes. Cecil smirked and said, _these are not the 'droids you are looking for, move along_ and the prefect looked at him blankly and waved them away.  
Earl had been delighted. "Cecil, you are a fucking Jedi! Come on, what else can you do?"  
"Let's find out," Cecil had said, but the answer was a disappointing nothing. Try as he might, the Voice was just his voice and carried no influence. They still had to pay for lunch. Later that day, he received a handwritten note in class. As he read the words, they vanished from the paper.  
 _Monday 5pm NVCR Internship begins. The Voice had better improve._  
That was the start of Cecil's radio career. School work from 8am until 5pm, radio work until Leonard finished his late show at 10pm, sleep.  
Earl had a similar workload with the Scouts but they managed not to forget that they were friends, organising lunchtimes and occasional weekends when Earl wasn't out with Sarah.

Earl remembered exactly when Cecil first asked if he could try out his Voice on him.  
It was a few weeks into Cecil's internship at the radio station. Leonard had given him a hard time over some material he had recorded and submitted as a demo tape. Said that Cecil didn't have what it took to be the Voice and was stopping Leonard's retirement.  
Cecil was in equal parts pissed off at the insult and upset that Leonard wanted to retire but couldn't until Cecil improved his control of the Voice.  
Actually, thought Earl, I remembered that wrong. Cecil didn't ask, I offered. An exchange.  
"Cecil, we can sort this out. You need to practise your Voice, I need to practise my Scouting skills. We could practise on each other maybe?"  
Cecil had agreed. 

Years later, Earl was only vaguely aware of standing on the kitchen table singing _At first I was afraid, I was petrified..._ and grateful that at least this was in Cecil's apartment and not in the bar.  
He had tackled Cecil about it later.  
"Look, if you make me do anything embarrassing in public I might lose my Scout Leader status. And I hate it when you make me do things I don't want to do."  
Cecil frowned at Earl. "I would never make you risk your career. I promise. And I can't force anyone to do anything they don't want on some level. I guess you must have thought about being a singer, or just like the song or something."  
"Huh? Well, I do sing it in the shower sometimes."  
"I'll ask you in advance if I want to try to tell you to do anything you might think weird. Okay? Your turn. I think you've got 'fire-starting' perfected," Cecil smiled as Earl held a tiny flame in his hand then snatched it out. "So do you have any new skills to work on?"  
"Yeah, 'restraint' and 'resistance' if you're okay with that." 

\------------------------

Cecil called Earl next morning, not too intrusively early.  
"Hi. You okay?"  
"Can't you tell?"  
"No. I think I have to be near you for it to work."  
"Oh. Then I'm okay."  
"You busy? Can I come round? I have a couple of hours before I have to be at the radio station."  
Silence. Then, "sure." 

It was an awkward conversation with Cecil and Earl sitting at diagonally opposite corners of the room.  
Cecil pointed out how useful it would be to know what his friend was feeling, he could be less insensitive.  
Earl said it was none of Cecil's business what he was feeling.  
Cecil said he knew that but couldn't help it.  
"Look, it's new, maybe if I practise I will be able to control it, decide not to use it." Cecil tried to keep the pleading out of his voice because he knew Earl hated it if he got whiny. "Please, Earl, help me learn to use this."  
Cecil blinked and felt a flash of Earl's indecision. "I'll let you practise 'knife skills' on me and you'll be able to see my terror!"  
"Okay. I guess, but keep my feelings to yourself. Don't even tell me.  
Cecil blinked again and felt Earl's mood change, slip into fear and excitement.  
"We still have the other thing to talk about. Come round after your show."

Earl sent the scouts home early so that he could listen to Cecil's late show. Sometimes Cecil talked about what he and Earl had done and it always made Earl smile to hear his friend enthuse about their latest project or expedition. Tonight he listened hoping for discretion, something that made Cecil infamous.  
"Listeners! I have exciting news for you all. My friend Earl, Scoutmaster Harlan..."  
Oh no, no. No.  
"...and I have some new skills to practise..."  
No, please, don't do it Palmer...  
"because I just found out something about him I didn't know before..."  
Palmer I will kill you, I swear if you say anything...  
"...which is that we have both been summoned to attend a college course on wheat-free cuisine! We'll be study-buddies! Isn't that just... neat!"  
Earl checked his knives were sharp.

Cecil knocked on the door then came in.  
"Hi Earl, did you listen to my show? I know you don't usually."  
Earl growled as Cecil giggled.  
"I would never say anything. I promised, remember? And I think I have the feelings-radar thing beat, I couldn't tell what anyone felt all afternoon after I got hyped on coffee. Seems that caffeine is my kryptonite so I had four double espressos at the Moonlight Diner on the way over. I feel a bit odd, my head is buzzing from tinnitus and my feet won't stay still but I have absolutely no idea what you're feeling at the moment. Look even if I touch you and close my eyes," Cecil grabbed Earl's hand and shut his eyes. "Nothing. Nada. Not a squeak. Honestly, it's a relief. Can you imagine going through life knowing exactly what everyone within a six-foot radius is feeling? Urgh, I'd never get laid again. Too much pressure."  
Earl felt Cecil's hand tremble in his and put it down to the caffeine.  
"I don't think you're any use for practising skills on tonight, except maybe 'advanced detoxification' but I don't have that one."  
"Ah, c'mon, I'll be okay." But Earl refused.

Instead they talked.  
"So... is this a new thing?" Cecil asked.  
"I don't know. I like you, we've been friends for so long I can't imagine, can't risk... I don't know what it is but when I see you all helpless I just want to... do stuff. Is this weird?"  
"You want to do what stuff?"  
"Umm, touch you. Places."  
"Places? Like in Arizona maybe? Oregon? Luftnarp?"  
"Stop torturing me!"  
"Sorry. You can, if you want."  
"What?"  
"Touch my Luftnarp."  
"Cecil! Please, this is hard enough... OH STOP IT!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'msosorry..." Cecil wiped his eyes and tried to stop giggling.  
The caffeine was wearing off and Cecil was dimly aware that Earl was feeling scared under his obvious annoyance. He tried to calm himself again.  
"Earl, We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. I know I have some gaps but since High School, you've always been there and that matters. I don't want to do anything to lose you. But what if, next time, you just do what you want to do? If it's too weird we can stop. I think we're good enough friends that we'd be okay. Otherwise it'll be this big awkward thing between us forever."  
Earl was quiet.  
"Earl?"  
Cecil felt Earl's resolve break.  
"Cecil, I have not told you quite everything."

"So have I got that one right?"  
"Yeah, it's a bit loose and I could work it off but then I'm the scout here so I should be able to get free."  
"But is it good enough?"  
"For now. I'll teach you some stuff later. Now the blindfold, like I showed you."  
Cecil stepped back and surveyed his handiwork. Earl was tied to the chair with untidy knots he could probably shake off and wore a lopsided blindfold.  
"If I'd known I might have paid more attention when I was a scout."  
"You were a terrible scout."  
"Shut up or I'll gag you too."

"Where are we?"  
"Luftnarp. Definitely Luftnarp."  
Cecil straddled Earl's lap on the little chair, held his face and kissed his best friend. Earl leaned his head forward to kiss back. He could taste the coffee Cecil had insisted on drinking.  
Earl felt Cecil unbutton his scout uniform and stroke his chest and stomach. Cecil unfastened Earl's cargo shorts, and stood up to allow him to move enough to let his shorts be pulled out of the way.  
Earl felt briefly abandoned as Cecil removed his own work clothes and folded them before settling astride Earl's lap again.  
Despite the extra caffeine, Cecil was aware of Earl's emotional state every time his eyes closed. Each time he blinked he felt the other's desire add to his own and he wondered how it would feel without the masking effect of the stimulant. He carefully rocked into Earl, feeling the chair creak dangerously underneath them. He rocked again and the chair creaked and threatened to tip.  
"Svitz!" Cecil stopped. Earl elaborated. "If the chair falls or collapses it's going to hurt. Maybe we should stop?"  
"Do you want to stop?"  
"Gods, no, but..."  
Cecil slid off Earl's lap, settling on his knees on the floor in front of him. He ran his hands up Earl's thighs, smiled at the visible effect before taking Earl's cock into his mouth and grasping his own in one hand. Earl groaned.  
"Oh fucking luftnarp..."

Afterwards they sat together watching TV in their underwear, not quite touching and the caffeine wore off gradually. Cecil felt from Earl a sense of warmth and affection. Not love, exactly, not desire, a calm contentment that matched his own. He closed his eyes. Earl felt... happy.  
"Palmer! I told you not to do that."  
"Sorry."  
"Uh, I was thinking..."  
"Hmm?"  
"It's about time I bought an espresso maker and some new chairs."  
They both giggled and hugged without kissing.  
Cecil went home to find an email from one of the interns waiting for him.

 _Hi Cecil, There's a team of scientists coming into town tomorrow to study local phenomena, like all these earthquakes we keep not feeling. Town meeting at 3pm, see you there._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It probably won't all be an excuse for light smut.


	3. Third Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil meets a handsome newcomer and learns a little control.  
> Earl gets comfortable with the change to their friendship.  
> The first of many foes is deflected easily. The rest will be harder...

Carlos looked around at the crowd. It was a small crowd, but they seemed extra attentive to everything he and his team were doing as if to make up for their lack of numbers. Dave was chatting to an old lady who offered everyone corn muffins. Rochelle was talking to a group of schoolkids who wanted to know what her danger-meter did. Carlos stepped onto the little podium.  
"Hi, My name is Carlos and I am a scientist. My team and I have come here to study Night Vale because this is the most scientifically interesting place in the states..."  
Cecil listened as Carlos spoke in his soft voice about earthquakes and a strange house out on one of the developments. Mostly Cecil stared. The prophecy had been accurate. Not only was Carlos the Scientist the most beautiful person he had ever seen but he seemed completely oblivious to that fact as he pushed his shoulder-length shaggy black hair out of his face, adjusted his glasses and smiled, showing white even teeth set in a strong, dark jaw. Cecil had to introduce himself.

He walked to the front, carrying his portable recorder and microphone.  
"HI, I'm Cecil. I'm the local radio show host. Would you..."  
But Carlos wasn't listening to him. Pamela, The Mayor was striding forward, staring at Carlos with a look Cecil hoped she never turned on him.  
Cecil knew he had to do something. The Mayor did not like outsiders and there were stories. Like that time a new dentist set up shop opposite the Ralph's. The Mayor, it was said, had calmly booked an appointment for a standard scale-and-polish, gone in and after a brief cut-off scream the dentist was never seen again. Although there were more stories about that, the delicatessen next door had some rather unusual-flavoured pastrami and bresaola a few weeks after the dentist surgery closed. Everyone commented on it and asked when it would be back in stock but the deli owner just smiled and said, "We really can't predict when rare meats will become available, but keep popping in, you never know your luck."

Cecil stepped into Pamela's path.  
"Oh! Excuse me Mayor, I didn't see you there."  
Pamela glared. Just an ordinary glare. "Out of my way."  
 _"Forget why you are here."_  
Pamela blinked and her expression relaxed from fury to confusion.  
 _"Go home and forget the Scientist and his team."_  
"What? Uh... I have to..."  
With one last look of uncertainty, Pamela turned and wandered away. Cecil took a deep breath, blew it out slowly and turned back to the podium. It was empty and the scientists were gone.

Later, on his show, he couldn't help himself from talking about Carlos the Scientist, how he looked, how perfect he was. He didn't know the truth of it until he heard the words in his own Voice.  
 _"And I fell in love instantly."_  
Later still, at home, he would have given anything not to have said that sentence.  
What if Earl heard? He knew it wasn't likely, Earl was far too busy to bother listening to his show.  
What if Carlos heard? He flushed deeply at the thought that the first thing Carlos the Perfect Scientist might hear from him was creepy stalker talk. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

The gift he had begun to call his _third eye_ was getting stronger and more controllable. He looked out over the town with it. He found Earl, exasperated with his scouts. He found Pamela, still confused over exactly what she had been doing in town. He reached out to find Carlos, but the scientist seemed to be missing. Perhaps if he concentrated harder, got comfortable.  
Cecil changed out of his work clothes and lay on his bed. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander for a few minutes, getting used to the hubbub of emotions around him, tuning out his neighbour's irritation and Earl's relief that the scouts had mastered something at last. He reached out looking for Carlos.  
Nothing. He was totally blind to the outsider's state.

Next day, Cecil texted Earl.  
 _Newcomers in town, scientists_  
 _scouts told me, seems harmless_  
 _wonder what he can do?_  
 _who?_  
 _Carlos, head scientist_  
 _scouts said he has no powers or skills_  
 _shit! we should look out for him_  
 _why? He's an outsider, prob run away soon_  
 _..._  
 _Cecil?_  
 _Haha, C you ass you LIKE him! should've known!_  
 _whaddaya mean?_  
 _you have a type, drink later?_  
 _ok_

Cecil found Earl at their usual seat at their usual bar with their usual drinks ready.  
"Hi, what did you mean I have a type?"  
Earl laughed. "Tall, dark, handsome, clever. You're not denying anything?"  
"No point. You'd get it out of me, and I might have mentioned him on my show. Once or twice maybe."  
Cecil took a drink and frowned. He didn't need to ask but thought it would be tactful.  
"Earl, are you okay with this?"  
Earl batted at Cecil's shoulder and laughed again. "If anything I'm relieved. I like you, you know that, and what we did the other night was nice, but neither of us is what the other is looking for. Not really."  
Cecil smiled. "Good. Is this a drink or a just-a-drink?"

They went to Cecil's apartment.  
"Got anywhere with controlling your third eye?"  
"Yeah, I can't turn it off but I can suppress it when I need to and I can extend it if I concentrate."  
"You're suppressing it now, right?"  
"Yes. Want me to down a few espressos?"  
"Uh, no, that left you useless last time."  
"Weird thing is, I can't see Carlos with it at all. It's like he's not there."  
"Carlos?"  
"The scientist. Oh you.... stop laughing at me!" 

Cecil wanted to practise his voice on Earl and Earl wanted to practise resisting external influence.  
"This will be hard," said Earl, "you're going to have to find something to order me to do that I would find challenging."  
"Like maths?"  
Earl rolled his eyes. "No. I'm good at maths."  
"Dancing?"  
"No, that's too easy for me to refuse!" Cecil grinned and raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh okay, if it's a good test of your Voice you can try to make me dance. The Conga doesn't count. Can you think of something I could try to resist, something I might want to do but really shouldn't?"  
Cecil blinked. Yes he could.

Earl was not a dancer. He felt the persuasion in Cecil's Voice but it was far too easy to resist the compulsion to get up and join Cecil in the space in the middle of the living room floor.  
 _".. it's a jump to the left..."_  
 _"...and a step to the ri-i-i-i-i-ight..."_  
"Give up man, I am not doing the fucking Time Warp!"  
"Spoilsport!"  
 _"... hands on your hips..."_  
"No!"  
"Aw, okay then. Oh look at you!"  
Earl, horrified, realised that Cecil was sitting on the sofa whilst he was busy doing a pelvic thrust in the middle of the floor. 

"How. The. Fucking. Fuck."  
Cecil laughed. "I discovered that I can make people think they're doing what I'm doing. So I stayed on the sofa and made you think that it was you sitting here and me dancing. You're actually not bad at all."  
"You'll pay for this, Palmer."  
"Nobody will ever know. Not even my listeners. Want to try resistance again? Need a rest first?"  
Earl nodded. "My head feels fuzzy."  
They sat quietly until Earl said his head had cleared.  
"Okay, you might need this when you're practising resistance to the Voice." Cecil handed Earl a piece of card on an elastic band. On it was one word: Svitz. Earl looked at Cecil, shrugged out the standard international gesture for "whuh?"  
"Um, if I tell you to go too far, wave that at me and I will stop."

Earl was aware of Cecil speaking to him.  
 _Oh what a lovely voice he has, I could listen and listen and... I might take my clothes off. No. No I won't do that even though I want to. That would be silly, we did that thing once but there's no need to do it again so soon but it would be nice. I'm cold, I have the card I could use it and I should but I don't want to not yet oh what did he say? what a nice voice, really nice I'd let that voice do anything..._

Cecil became aware of just what a dangerous line he trod with Earl. As Earl stood in his underwear Cecil realised that he really could tell Earl to do anything, but he didn't want to. Not like this. He thought Earl would have told him to stop by now, got embarrassed and called him a pervert or something. He could feel that Earl was calm, relaxed, he felt sedated. Cecil changed his instructions. 

_What did the lovely voice say? yes I am cold I should put those back on and sit down. I will do that even though I would like to..._  
Earl sat on the sofa and opened his eyes. "How did I do?" He looked at the card attached around his wrist. "Did I need this?"  
"Uh, Earl, do you remember what I told you to do?"  
Earl shook his head. "Not yet, sometimes it takes a few min... Oh!" He closed his eyes for a moment. "You didn't ask me to do much, there wasn't much to resist there. What happened?"  
Cecil looked away. "I suddenly realised that if I went too far and you couldn't stop me but you wanted to, that would make me..."  
"Oh! Oh, Cecil, uh, let's leave the Voice out of... uh... that side of our friendship."

Earl had a fucking marvellous idea of how to curtail the Voice. So simple.  
"You okay?" asked Earl, a little nervously, never having treated a friend like this before.  
Cecil, bound, blindfolded and gagged, just nodded slowly.  
Earl, ever practical, had insisted that Cecil remove most of his clothing in advance.  
"Okay." Earl kissed Cecil's bottom lip below the simple gag and leaned to his ear.  
"I know you can link this third eye to your Voice, psychic-boy. What do you want me to do to you?" 

Cecil writhed. He wished he could talk, cry out, "Oh, Carlos, fuck!" but the gag stopped him. Earl stroked then licked and sucked, circled and nipped, licked and sucked more and harder and faster until...  
"Nnnnngh! Mmmmnnnngh!"  
Earl stopped. "Something wrong, honey?"  
"NNNmmmNNNghhh. MMhhghnnngh"  
"Oh? Okay. I'll pretend I understood that. Now shut up, I wasn't finished."  
For a moment, Earl watched as Cecil tried to find him, wrists bound to the bed posts, ankles bound to each other, cock looking for Earl's mouth. Earl resumed licking and stroking and circling until Cecil let out a loud, muffled bellow and Earl moved aside just in time.  
Earl removed Cecil's sodden gag. Cecil lay still and panting for a few moments.  
"Where are you?"  
"Mmmf, Best fucking trip to Luftnarp in years."

After Earl untied Cecil, he showed his friend a couple of knots so that he could practice his escape skills. Cecil tied Earl a little better than the first time, Earl pretended it was secure until he came with a heaving cry and loosed both legs, tipping Cecil's bedroom chair backwards, just avoiding arm injury because the chair back jammed against the wall. 

Again watching bad late-night TV. Again in underwear. Again not touching.  
"umm... "  
"Yeah?"  
"If we do this again, Cecil...?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Please don't call me Carlos."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda like the idea of Cecil and Earl being fuckbuddies. Please don't judge.


	4. Carpaccio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earl and Cecil must work together to save the scientist when he chooses to visit the wrong barber shop.

Earl wasn't spying on Carlos, exactly. He wanted to understand what Cecil saw in him. Cecil liked to talk about Carlos's perfect hair and perfect teeth and strong jaw, but all Earl saw was a reasonably good looking man who seemed to be on the point of letting himself go. When Cecil started yet another monologue about his perfect scientist, Earl argued back.  
"Cecil, one. He's not _your_ scientist. Two. He's not _perfect_. Have you really looked at him?"  
Cecil grinned and nodded. "I might have started walking to work by a route that goes past his lab."  
"Cecil! That's totally in the wrong direction! You've seen his grey hair then? And the way he looks nervous all the time? And how he could do with not working next door to Big Rico's?"  
Cecil had a counterargument for everything. "His grey hair makes him look distinguished. And wouldn't you be nervous if you lived here without any of your scouting powers? He's adorable and I want to look out for him. And I appreciate someone who is confident enough not to mind developing a more comfortable figure. And those glasses... Mmhmmhmm."  
"Oh, he wears glasses too? That seals the deal then. He has the complete dress-up dork costume."  
"So if I was to suggest that you wear a lab-coat, a flannel shirt and glasses next time, maybe carry a clipboard..."  
"Absolutely not while I still have some pride left. And don't even think about _Voicing_ me into it."

Cecil's phone rang. It was Josie.  
"Cecil, that new scientist refused my corn muffins. You know, the special ones you asked me to make for the newcomers."  
"Oh? That's bad, I hope he will be okay. Did the protection ingredients work?"  
"Of course! I've been cooking up stuff like this for decades. How do you think you managed to survive until your Voice broke properly? It just made them taste a little off, salt interferes with the necessary combination of secret ingredients for a protection potion so I had to make them without. Nasty."  
"Thanks Josie, I appreciate it."  
"You won't appreciate the real reason I called."  
"Oh?"  
"One of my angels saw Perfect Carlos take his Perfect Hair out of the lab, saying he was going to Telly's barber shop." 

Cecil rocketed out of his chair, knocking the table and spilling his coffee over Earl.  
 _"Earl, follow me, now"_  
"Really, Cecil, you've just almost scalded my... um... anyway good thing these shorts are made of quality fabric. And you know I have to be in the right mood for your Voice to work on me."  
It was true. Cecil noticed it first. Earl was only susceptible to the Voice on just-a-drink nights.  
"Please, Earl, we are needed. Come on!" Cecil ran out of the coffee shop, Earl jogged along behind.  
"What's up?"  
"Carlos has gone to get a haircut." 

"So what! I let you cut mine last week."  
"Why get me to do it and not go to the barbers?"  
"Oh shit, has he gone to Telly's?"  
Cecil nodded.  
They sped up and arrived, gasping for oxygen, in Fleet Street. Telly's shop was dark but the red and white pole outside rotated to show that Telly the Demon Barber was busy.  
"Oh, we're too late!" Earl contemplated helping Cecil through a brief period of mourning for what might have been then having just-a-drink evenings without suspecting that his friend was imagining him as a dusky, dorky scientist.  
"No, not yet. I can't tackle Telly on my own if he has transitioned to demon state. I need you to restrain him for me."  
"Okay. Ready."

Josie, who was shopping at the delicatessen across the road, watched as the two men talked briefly and nodded to each other. Cecil tried the door and found it locked. Earl picked up a rock and hit the window with it repeatedly until it shattered. Darkness flooded out of the shop interior, obscuring Earl and Cecil from view.  
"Shit, he must have gone full-demon."  
Cecil found his third eye snapped into focus. He could see Earl beside him, excited by fear. He could see Telly standing behind an empty chair, indecision over whether to use the cut-throat razor or the scissors that soaked in disinfectant on the ledge under the mirror.  
Ah. The mirror.  
Earl was thinking for Cecil. He could not see anything but for one of his scout skills he had memorised the internal layout of every building where he might be required to navigate blind. He threw the rock at the mirror and it fell to the floor in small enough pieces that Cecil could ignore.  
Telly whipped round to face them, the smiling, dream-faced chair occupant temporarily ignored. His tail knocked over the trolley beside the barber's chair, spilling its contents over the floor. Scalpels, forceps and drill-bits bounced and scattered on the tiles. Cecil shouted.  
 _"EARL! Six feet ahead and right, go for the knees!"_  
There was just enough influence in the Voice to help Earl move quickly. He launched himself and caught the demon's knees, knocking them both over. Cecil threw him some kind of cord, heavy at one end as if weighted, and he tied the demon's ankles as Cecil tried to hold it down. 

Soon Telly the Demon was propped up against the wall, ankles and wrists bound tightly with a hairdryer cable and the charger cable for a set of clippers. Earl fetched a towel and used it to make a blindfold. As the demon's inky-black eyes were covered, the darkness receded. Earl thought, as always when he saw Telly's demon form, _gods he's ugly enough as a human._  
Cecil spoke into Telly's pointed, hairy ear.  
Telly shook his head, growled and whimpered.  
Cecil repeated his commands.  
Telly went slack. His tail melted into his spine and his claws retracted until his fingers were just fingers, slightly misshapen but human enough. His heavy, powerful lower jaw receded and his tusks shrank back into the bone.  
Earl untied Telly the human and watched as he scrambled up and ran.

The owner of the delicatessen sighed, shrugged at Josie and removed the sign from the window.  
 _Coming soon - specialist carpaccio! Limited supply, buy while you can._

Cecil looked at Carlos. He was still under, head down and eyes flicking lazily back and forwards under closed lids. Earl spoke.  
"You know why he came here, don't you?"  
"Oh no, not that, I can't. You do it."  
"No way! I'll make a total mess of it and you won't forgive me until it grows out. It might be months before you let me... um..."  
Earl picked up the scissors and handed them to Cecil.  
"Give him a haircut then we can take him home. Cecil? are you _crying?_ "  
" _SHUT UP"_  
Earl turned his back and rolled his eyes.

Later, Carlos woke up on a park bench to find Cecil watching him.  
"Are you okay, Dr Scientist?"  
"Uh, yes. I must have fallen asleep."  
Cecil watched Carlos run his hand through his hair, saw his confusion.  
"Oh! I seem to have a haircut that I don't remember getting." He glanced at Cecil. "Does it look okay?"  
"You should let it grow long again."  
"Oh?" Cecil wished that Carlos would lift his eyes properly and look at him. "Thanks anyway, I better get back to work. There are reports of a cloud, a really interesting one."  
Cecil smiled in relief. If all Carlos was going to do was look at interestingly shaped clouds for a few hours then he wouldn't be in any danger. 

Cecil watched as Carlos walked away. Earl joined him.  
"Are you staring at his ass?"  
"Yeah."  
"Why don't you ask him out?"  
Earl was surprised by the look of fear on Cecil's face. He had never thought of Cecil as particularly shy or reserved.  
"Uh, um, no. I can't. I want to, but I can't read him at all. What if... what if he said no?"  
Earl sighed and punched Cecil's arm. He flinched. "He'd be an unworthy idiot."  
"Earl, I hurt in too many places to practise tonight."  
"I know Cecil. Want to go for a drink later anyway?"  
"Your place or mine?"


	5. Every silver lining has its glowcloud.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil discovers a new power and causes havoc at the post office.  
> Carlos does indeed go to look at clouds.  
> Earl realises something about himself and his relationship with his best friend,

Earl practised his scout tracking skills and tailed Carlos back to his lab. Cecil asked him to do it, make sure the scientist got home safely. After all, an encounter with a demon might have side effects. Screaming, for example, nosebleeds, or perhaps petrification.  
Carlos made it home after walking straight through a group of hooded figures without noticing they were there. Earl smiled in approval. Either he was still terrified or he was learning survival skills.  
Ceci had not asked Earl to figure out what he saw in the newcomer, but he tried again anyway. Earl definitely did not ask Cecil to use his third eye to see his feelings on the matter.  
Cecil frowned as he felt Earl's slight prickle of jealousy.

Cecil walked slowly to the station. He was tired, using the Voice on a demon like Telly took a lot of effort and concentration. Demons were difficult creatures, even the ones who vowed not to harm residents had to be monitored because they were notorious liars, although many found gainful employment in public service as local politicians.  
The weather seemed to be changing, Cecil noticed. As he walked the wind swirled and made dust-devils around him. He stood for a few minutes for a rest, eyes half closed behind his glasses, leaned against the wall outside the station and watched the pattern of swirling dust, hands moving like the conductor of an orchestra. _Mini tornadoes_ he thought. _Cute little baby tornadoes just a few feet tall. Wonder what would happen if..._  
He barely finished putting the image into words in his head. The five or six dust devils playing around each other in the street all converged in the middle of the street in front of him forming a rotating column of air, dust and sand sixty feet high.  
 _Shit!_ Cecil put his hands on the wall behind his back and thought about... _Oh no I need not to think about tornadoes. Do Not Think About Tornadoes._ He had to distract himself, quickly. Anything that would get his mind off the wind.  
He thought about a certain scientist wearing nothing but a lab-coat and a smile.  
The dust-devil dissipated as quickly as it had grown.  
 _That's a new skill to practise later, can't possibly see what use it would be, although a big one might carry Steve off somewhere he can be a jerk without bothering me._

Earl halted, stood perfectly still. Carlos reached the lab door, put his hand on the door handle, turned round and looked straight at Earl.  
"I saw you at the park. I saw you three times on my way here. My observations suggest that you might be following me."  
Earl, a good scout, decided that some version of the truth was the best lie.  
"I was, sorry." He stuck out his hand. "Earl Harlan, Scoutmaster. I practise scouting skills on random strangers," he paused for a moment, biting his lower lip, "and occasionally I practise on friends."  
"Why me?"  
Earl shrugged. "Why not?"  
"It's hard enough being new somewhere without that radio creep talking about me and now picking up a stalker. Leave me alone."  
Earl kicked himself minutes later after Carlos went inside, but his reply was immediate and without thought.  
"Who, Cecil? No, he's a really nice guy. Give him a chance. You should get to know him better." 

Cecil had a break before his show so he decided to use it practising his new power and posting an anonymous parcel to his brother-in-law, Steve. As he stood in line at the post office he thought he could try it out. At first he made little swirling currents that whooshed around people's feet and made them look down. Cecil, grinning, decided to be more daring and summoned an air movement that blew greetings cards out of their rack. As Cecil became more and more amused with his new power, the winds he caused became more and more forceful and caused more mayhem inside the building.  
Cecil realised what was happening with maybe the third or fourth scream. He stood in the middle of the room, a few terrified postal workers cowering under the counter, letters and parcels strewn around the floor and swirling in the air. _Quick! Distraction! Mmhmmhmm naked scientist..._ The freaky indoor wind abated and Cecil left, hoping there was no CCTV. He did not witness the fate of the postmistress, who did not make it out in time to evade the jaws of the underfed and overworked postal delivery dragon whose shackles had shaken loose from the vibration of the wind and came up to see what all the fuss was about. The dragon took swift revenge.

 _I need more restraint_ Cecil thought as he headed for the park to practise in a safer environment. When he arrived, he set his bag down, sat on a bench and concentrated. _Perhaps if I can combine the wind with a distraction..._ Cecil thought about creating air currents and simultaneously he thought about Carlos the Scientist wearing only a lab coat and safety glasses.  
Then he thought about the wind gently blowing the lab coat and the perfect hair, magically restored to its original length...  
Then he pulled his bag over his lap and sat still, thinking about librarians.  
When his embarrassment eased, Cecil returned to the radio station and broadcast his show.

As soon as he was finished, he checked his phone, called Earl and ran out of the studio. 

John Peters, you know, the farmer? watched the cloud roll in from the east. It was different. He had called that science feller, whatshisname, about it and he said he'd come out and see it. And sure thing, here they were. Two science fellers in lab-coats with machines that go _beep_ and clipboards and everything.  
Only the cloud didn't want to be measured or beeped at or recorded. This cloud was defending its privacy. It started with a light rain of insects, moved on to small mammals and reptiles before dropping an entire dead armadillo right at the other guy's feet. But the science fellers wouldn't take a hint and kept measuring and recording what the _beep_ machine said on their clipboards.  
It was when the could started to glow that John called Cecil. This was exactly the sort of thing he'd want to know about for his show. He imagined the news item: _Meddling outsider killed as local character, "The Glowcloud" **all hail** drops elk carcass with pinpoint accuracy..._  
Cecil arrived just as the glowcloud swooped down low over the two scientists. Earl arrived half a minute later to see Cecil making a swirling pattern with his hands then suddenly thrusting his hands out towards the glowing cloud. The sudden gust of wind blew the glowcloud off-target and knocked the scientists over, knocking them out.  
"GET THEM!" yelled Cecil. "I CAN'T HOLD IT!"  
Earl dived in, running low to avoid the sudden hurricane. He dragged the younger scientist and then Carlos out of range. As he reached safety, he stumbled backwards and fell with Carlos on top of him. Carlos regained consciousness sprawled on top of Earl with Earl red-faced and apologetic. 

"You again! I told you to leave me alone!" Carlos spluttered, sand in his mouth.  
Carlos got up, brushed himself off, checked that Dave was okay and went to pick up their equipment.  
Cecil came out from behind his car. He looked Earl up and down, focused on the tent in his khakis and said, "Uh, Earl, are you _still_ convinced you're just using me to scratch an itch?"  
"Shut up Cecil. Help me up."  
"Oh I'll do that later, in the meantime let's get you on your feet."  
"Palmer, I swear..."  
But Palmer had disappeared behind his car again as Carlos and his colleague reappeared with their equipment, got into their car and drove away.  
John shook his head and went back inside to finish his imaginary corn accounts.

Later, very late at Earl's apartment after a longer than usual trip to the bar, Cecil asked,  
"So you can see why I like Carlos?"  
"Maybe."  
Earl didn't feel like talking about it.  
"Show me that trick you did with the wind. That was cool."  
"It stopped working. I try, but nothing happens."  
"Oh. Does it feel bad to lose a power?" Cecil nodded. "Want me to help you take your mind off it?" Cecil nodded again.

Earl took Cecil's hand and led him to the bedroom. He started undressing his best friend.  
"Cecil, how much of the desert did you bring back with you?"  
Earl shook sand out of Cecil's clothes.  
"Uh, I guess it blew in there. Can I use your shower?"  
Earl smiled. "Sure. I'll get you a towel."  
He found a clean towel and took it to Cecil in the bathroom.  
"Uh, Cecil...?"  
"mm-hmm?"  
"Would it be really bad if we did stuff and we were _both_ thinking about a certain other person?"

Cecil stuck his head around the shower curtain.  
"Join me?"  
Earl stripped and stepped into the shower. They talked as they touched.  
 _...that hair..._  
 _...that jawline..._  
 _...that perfect smile..._  
 _...this is fucking weird. Do we have to fight over him now or something?_  
Cecil laughed. "No, you'd win."

"I can't." Earl looked down. "Hasn't been a problem before, at least not when I'm sober."  
"Oh. That's okay, we can go watch stupid TV instead if you want."  
"No, I think I want it, but... Oh I don't know... if I should say it."  
Earl was slightly drunk. So was Cecil.  
"You can say anything. Friends." Cecil pointed back and forth between them.  
"Okay. Don't freak out. I want to do it but... I want to think about you when it's us and I want you to be thinking about me when you're with me. If you catch my drift."  
"Oh... oh. Uh, Earl, are you saying you want ... what?"  
"Don't know really. Talk when sober?"  
"Sure." Cecil leaned close to Earl's ear. "I do, you know."  
"What?"  
"When I'm with you, I think about you. Whatever you think I'm thinking," Cecil swayed a little, "I'm not fantasising about lab-coats."  
"Liar." Earl laughed, but it worked anyway. "Say it again."  
"Harlan, I want you."

Earl could almost believe it.


	6. Campfires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil wants to go camping.  
> Earl has ideas about suitable activities for fireside entertainment.  
> By sheer coincidence Carlos is camping nearby, for science.  
> And yes, of course they all end up sharing a tent. This is fanfiction after all.
> 
> Was that just the wind howling in the canyon?  
> Are you sure?

Cecil wanted to go camping. Earl was surprised because, as he had pointed out often, Cecil was a terrible scout. He was coached by Earl through the few badges he earned and he left as soon as he had completed the mandatory two years' service. Earl had to ask.  
"Why, in the name of all that is good and pure, why?"  
"I like the outdoors."  
"You like the air con! And blackout blinds, and hot showers, and a ridiculously comfortable mattress."  
"No, really, I have not fully explored my love for outdoor living. What if we went back out to that gorge where we used to go, you know, the one that makes those funny noises?"  
"Like a pack of wolves howling at night?"  
"Yeah! That one." 

Of course Cecil's request had nothing to do with having had a chat with Dave and Rochelle the Scientists after meeting them in town and insisting on buying them coffee. It did not matter at all to Cecil, of course, that they said Carlos wanted to investigate the sounds coming from "Howling Canyon" and planned to camp out overnight. It totally wasn't important that none of the other scientists wanted to go with him so he would be out there alone.

And it was of no interest to Cecil that Dave and Rochelle described Carlos as a single workaholic who ought to get out more. Or that he had broken up with his boyfriend just before moving to Night Vale and his team all thought that he should find someone else to make him forget for a while. And that those who listened to Cecil's show (yes, all five of them) thought Cecil would fit that role perfectly.

Cecil found it difficult to hide his disappointment when Dave said that Carlos always left the lab and went upstairs to his apartment when Cecil's show was on. Rochelle and Dave looked at each other and giggled. Cecil asked what they were laughing about but they wouldn't tell him. He tried using his third eye but it did not seem to work properly on outsiders. He was dimly aware of the scientists' amusement but the sensation lacked the depth and intensity of a long-term resident's emotional state. For example, right now Earl...

Earl!  
Cecil had excused himself and gone to Earl's apartment. He broke in quietly like a good scout should. Earl was in his kitchen surrounded by smithereens.  
"Earl! Are you okay?"  
"Cecil! Uh, I wasn't expecting you. Funny how breaking stuff can make things feel better." 

They had to have that talk. Cecil felt it even with his eyes open. He held Earl tight and sensed his friend's confusion. Earl clung for just a second then pushed Cecil off.  
"Cecil, I'm..."  
"I know, I know. I feel it, I don't mean to but I do."  
"I think about you. I can't stop. I know you don't want this, me, you want the scientist, but..."  
Cecil moved in again. He held his best friend tightly once more.  
"I know. I... yes I want Carlos. But I don't know him. He's a fantasy, you're real, you're here."  
Earl buried his face in Cecil's shoulder.  
"But I will lose you. To him. Sooner or later."  
"Right now there's you and me and a fantasy. Can you live with that?"  
"Do I have a choice?"

Cecil sighed. "There is always a choice, Earl, we just can't control the options. Remember when you met Sarah?"  
"Yeah. I was an asshole."  
"I'm trying not to be an asshole."  
"By telling me that you're in love with someone else? Try harder."  
"By not lying to you."  
"How would you feel if this was the other way around? If you loved me and I loved Carlos?"  
Cecil thought for a moment and then laughed. "You and Carlos together? Mmhmmhmm. Would you let me watch?"  
Cecil dodged and ducked as Earl chased him brandishing the breadknife. 

Earl did not let go of the knife until Cecil kissed him. They were lying on the living room floor where Cecil had tripped on the rug. Earl had him pinned down with his bodyweight, secured his wrists above his head with one hand and carefully pressed the blunt edge of the knife into Cecil's throat with the other, whispering empty threats. Cecil pushed against it to meet Earl's lips.  
Earl threw the knife out of the way, shifted his weight and pushed his free hand down to the growing bulge in his captive's trousers.  
"You want to?"  
"Yes."  
Earl sat up, pulled Cecil up and led him into the bedroom. They undressed each other, leaving their clothes where they fell. Cecil giggled as Earl lifted him up and dropped him onto the bed then landed beside him, rolled halfway on top of him, kissing and stroking. Cecil felt Earl's rough hands make surprisingly light, feathery touches over his skin, making him giggle more as the hairs on his arms stood up.  
"Earl, that tickles!" Cecil wriggled but could not escape. He laughed and writhed harder against Earl. Earl stopped stroking, kissed Cecil hard then pulled away. 

"What's wrong?"  
"I have not done this before. I don't want to do it wrong. I read stuff on the internet but you can't believe everything on there."  
Cecil frowned. "But we... Oh! Okay. Do you want me to demonstrate on you first or talk you through it?"  
"Yes, both please. I got this..." Earl rummaged under the bed and brought out a bottle of lube and some condoms.  
Cecil grinned and kissed him. Earl sniggered.  
"A scout is always prepared."  
"Are you ready to work on your _slowly fucking a subversive radio host into the void_ badge?"  
"Mm-hmm." Earl nodded.

Cecil told Earl what to do and demonstrated, using lube and a carefully probing finger. They lay spooned together, Cecil behind Earl nuzzling his neck and shoulder as his finger teased around Earl's entrance. Earl gasped as Cecil probed in with one finger and slowly circled it around, feeling the muscle relax. Cecil added a second finger. Earl pushed back into Cecil.  
"Fuck that feels good."  
Cecil giggled and whispered. "This is nothing."  
He pushed the two fingers in deeper, twisting his hand and twitching his fingertips. Earl tightened around them then relaxed. Cecil teased for a few minutes, pulling out, pushing in, twisting his fingers, until Earl groaned and started to touch himself. Cecil reached over and pulled Earl's hand away.  
"My job. Don't touch. Don't move."  
Cecil removed his fingers from Earl, rolled away to make enough space to put on a condom and coated it with lube. He guided Earl up onto his knees, teased him with fingers again then took the fingers away. He guided his cock into position and entered slowly. Earl pushed back.  
They held still for a moment, Cecil on his knees between Earl's thighs, Earl almost sitting back on him. Cecil explained.  
"You can change position to help me hit the right spot if you like or move a little forward if this is too deep."  
Cecil raised his hips slowly to push into Earl then pulled back. Earl moaned softly _oh fuck. Aah, more..._ He kept it slow, teasing himself as much as his friend, wondering how this would feel if Carlos... No he promised he wouldn't... but nobody would know... if Carlos was behind him, in him, using him. Earl grunted, pushed back onto Cecil a few times to try to speed up the tempo. Cecil moved his hips up harder and faster, holding on to Earl, pushing him further forward, letting Earl's emotion wash over him and add to his own as he reached one hand around to grasp Earl's cock and stroke it firmly in time with his thrusting. He felt Earl tighten as he came, breathing hard, the extra pressure adding to the stimulation and tipping him into his own pulsing climax.

They lay still, Earl collapsed face down and Cecil on his back, for a moment or two.  
"Don't move." Cecil got up and went to the bathroom to clean up and returned with a damp towel for Earl. "Let me. Just lie there."  
Cecil lay down again with Earl, wrapping an arm around him.  
Earl laughed.  
"What?"  
"If I take you camping, do I get to do that to you?"  
Cecil grinned.  
"I should warn you, I can probably out-howl the canyon."

Carlos arrived and pitched his tent exactly where he wanted it. Near enough to the canyon to be able to hear the sounds he had been told about yet far enough that the sounds from his little camp wouldn't be recorded on any of the listening devices he had placed closer to the lip of the canyon. He looked forward to a couple of days and nights on his own with his books and camp cooking and nobody to think he was weird for staring at the stars. And nobody to tease him about that radio guy. He started building his campfire.  
Not that there was much firewood around here. There were a few scrubby low-growing shrubs that Carlos had photographed and sent to Dave for identification before gathering last year's withered branches for his camp fire. He had been told horror stories about what might happen if he used the wrong species of plant and inhaled too much smoke or used it for cooking. Urban legends probably, but he had a little butane fuelled stove for cooking, just in case.  
Carlos felt contented. He had his campfire, a book and his head-torch ready, solitude and beer. And science in progress. The listening devices were sound-activated and would begin collecting data as soon as there was data to collect. He swigged his beer, watched the sun go down and sat lost in his own head as the stars came out.

Cecil and Earl set up camp too. They were closer to the canyon edge than Carlos. Earl pitched the tent while Cecil gathered firewood. Earl got the fire ready for lighting and Cecil made dinner, which involved opening packets from the deli.  
"No unusual meat products?"  
"Not this week but they said to keep asking. Just their standard picnic pack."  
Cecil held out a plastic tumbler and Earl poured wine into it.  
"Dinner, sunset, campfire and early night?"  
Earl grinned.  
"I thought dinner, sunset, work on that badge you mentioned earlier in front of the campfire then crawl into the tent when we can't think of anything better to do."

The canyon started to howl just after sunset. Carlos shivered although it was not yet cold and his fire was adequate. He opened a second beer, lay back and stared at the stars until he was tired, then crawled into his tent as the campfire flames died down to a glow.

Cecil and Earl talked for a while, until Earl made Cecil sing along with Howling Canyon. Afterwards, they held each other until the fire died down. Cecil put more firewood on and the flames licked up again. Earl laid out their sleeping bags in the tent.

Earl had no idea what time he was woken up by the screaming. There was howling, from the canyon of course, but he detected a different kind of howl hidden within the wind-noise that parents made up stories about to frighten the gullible. The scream came again. Earl shook Cecil but he was also awake already.  
"What was that?"  
"There's something out there. Something else."  
Earl reached out to whatever creature disguised its calls as canyon-howl. He felt something big, something wild, something _hungry_.  
Cecil reached out with his third eye. He felt nothing, he sensed a distinct patch of void a little further back from the canyon edge. He leapt up, shrugged off his sleeping bag.  
"It's Carlos! Come on!" 

Earl threw more fuel on their fire embers then Cecil led the way in the dimness. The sand under their feet was light coloured and reflected the meagre moonlight well enough as they ran towards the source of the screams. Earl had recognised the hunger of the creature. It was a spiderwolf, a big one by the feel of it. He would struggle to control it.  
"As close as we dare, Cecil."  
"There!"  
Cecil pointed. They approached more carefully. Earl watched the enormous spiderwolf shred the nylon tent and scatter the warm remains of Carlos's campfire. Carlos lay a few feet away.  
"Oh shit. Shit, Earl, is he...?"  
"Shut up."  
Earl edged closer to the spiderwolf and sat down in the sand. He thought about what it must be like to live in the desert, hiding by day and coming out to catch jackalopes at night. To be hungry all the time, to have to defend territory against other packs. He thought about the smell coming from inside the tent that now lay in tatters, melting into the scattered remains of the fire. The smell coming from... _No! Leave it, it is not food, it is death._  
Earl stared the spiderwolf down, struggled to force it to believe that its next meal would not be Scientist. He had its attention but even Earl, linked to the spiderwolf's thoughts, could tell that Carlos smelled _good_. He had to try something else.

Earl thought of the emotions he experienced the first time Cecil found out how he felt. The guilt, the fear, the shame. He poured all of that into the spiderwolf, not knowing if it was even capable of processing or understanding such emotions. He felt the spiderwolf change, felt it shrink, saw it flee towards the canyon.

"Okay, it might come back. Best if I take him," Earl pointed at Carlos, "to our camp and keep the fire going and you save what you can here."  
Cecil nodded.  
"Will he be okay?"  
Earl felt Carlos's breathing and pulse, checked for injuries, basic first aid procedure, then picked him up and slung him over a shoulder.  
"He'll be fine. Not sure about my back!"  
Earl set off back to their tent. Cecil packed up Carlos's gear and left it in a neat pile for the morning, except for the tent. He collected all the fabric shreds, stuffed them into a spare bag and took them with him.

"Earl, thanks."  
"Umf whaffor?"  
They spoke quietly. Carlos showed no signs of waking up yet. Earl had built up the campfire again, Cecil had burned the damaged tent wishing Carlos had a more traditional canvas rather than smelly nylon. Earl had zipped open their sleeping bags to use one as an under-blanket and the other over them. The three men lay in the tent with Carlos in the middle to make sure he stayed warm enough.  
"You know how I feel. You could have let him get eaten. I wouldn't have known, that spiderwolf was the biggest I've seen."  
"But I know how you feel. I had to save him. For you."  
Cecil reached over and stroked Earl's face.  
"You're a hero and I don't deserve you."  
"I know. Go to sleep."  
Cecil settled down. It was too tempting, he reached an arm over Carlos to find Earl had done the same. He stifled a giggle.  
"If he wakes up before us he's going to be very confused."  
Earl snorted.  
"What can we tell him?"  
"Oh, _you got high and slept with us both_ or the usual scout legend?"  
"Be careful what plant you burn in your campfire?"

"Umm, Earl..."  
"What now? You'll wake him!"  
"You're _loving_ this, aren't you?"  
"Shut up, Cecil."  
Earl grinned. Cecil sensed that Earl was making a decision, he was feeling... playful?  
No, that wasn't right. Cecil closed his eyes, reached over Carlos to touch Earl's skin. Earl was feeling...  
"Earl!" Cecil forgot to whisper.  
Earl leaned over Carlos to murmur to Cecil.  
Cecil replied that Earl's idea was exactly what he had been thinking about during their campfire activity of the previous evening but with himself in the middle.

In the morning, Carlos was awake but woozy. He did not remember much of the previous night and was not quite sure of where he was. Cecil helped him back to his own camp, carefully drove his unsuitable car right up off-road to pack the scientist and his kit into it to drive them home.  
"Oh! Wait, I have monitoring equipment to collect." Carlos tried to get out of the car again. Cecil stopped him.  
"You're ill, can't someone else come out and pick them up for you? I can call if you like."  
Carlos looked confused. Cecil shook his head and called Rochelle. They had swapped numbers so that they could swap progress notes on _project get Carlos a boyfriend_.  
"Rochelle is coming out to pick them up. I'm taking you home."  
"Sorry I spoiled your night out with the Scoutmaster."  
"What, Earl?" Cecil really didn't know what to say. "We're mostly just friends. Best friends."  
"Oh? Okay. I could have sworn I heard you both discussing... No, I guess I was hallucinating a bit."

Carlos slept in the car. Cecil drove carefully. Earl caught up and drove behind them. They took Carlos to the lab where Dave was waiting for them.  
"Cecil, thanks, what happened?"  
"We found him wandering in the desert. I think he put the wrong sort of plant on his campfire, got a lungful of some alkaloid, fell and hit his head maybe. His tent caught fire too."  
"Shit! Carlos, I better check you over. Blood tests, urine tests, the lot. If it's fluid I'm having some."  
Cecil leered at Dave, who went red.  
"Yeah, maybe not that."  
Cecil laughed. "I'll call later to find out what he can remember."

Cecil got into Earl's car.  
"Did you mean what you said about our beautiful and death-prone scientist?"  
"Yes, I think so. You're infatuated with him, I... kind of like him. It makes sense, sort of if you squint at it from the right angle."  
Cecil laughed. "So what do we do about it?"  
"I have no idea! Maybe nothing. Maybe it just means we have matching fantasies."

Cecil called Dave late in the afternoon.  
"How's the patient?"  
"Much better. No sign of poisoning but there is a nasty lump on his head."  
In the background he heard Rochelle shout _yeah, that's his face_ and giggle.  
"Has he said he remembers anything?"  
"No, but he wanted to talk to you. Hang on..."  
There was a muffled voice and a pause.  
"Cecil? Hi, it's Carlos. Umm, I just wanted to say thanks for rescuing me. You and Earl."  
"Oh? That's okay. How are you feeling?"  
"Still a little shaken, but better. I doubt if I will go camping ever again."  
There was a pause.  
"Uh, Cecil, would you and Earl like to come round to the lab? _shut up Rochelle_ Umm, for coffee _yes I know! shut up!_ and cake with the team? So I can say thank you in person? _okay I know!_ Tomorrow afternoon?"  
"That would be neat! You do know about..." but the line was dead. "... not using wheat flour, don't you?"


	7. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil gets a new power based on anatomy.  
> Yeah, tentacles. But Earl isn't impressed.

"He's furious with you. Did you say something? Do something?"  
Rochelle had called Cecil to warn him not to go to the lab. The invitation had been retracted.  
"I don't think so, he seemed okay after all that happened. Maybe a bit weirded out but that's normal around here."  
Rochelle laughed.  
"You can say that again! This place is unusual. I could swear I saw a tall figure with wings... no. Probably not."  
"Probably not. Has Carlos said anything about why he's angry with me?"  
"And Earl. You and Earl. No, he hasn't, but he has shut himself upstairs with his laptop to finish analysing data from the sound recorders he planted around the canyon and won't let anyone in."  
"Sound recorders?"  
"Yeah, you camped out too, didn't you? There was one near what I think might have been the remains of a campfire."  
"Oh. Oh dear. I have to go."  
Rochelle laughed. She knew exactly why Carlos was upset.

Upstairs, Carlos let the frequency analysis software deal with all but one of the sound dataloggers. The last one he analysed again. Two voices, two people. Chatting around their campfire, then noises and words that made Carlos blush, then quiet.  
A gap in the timing then a sudden rush. Another gap followed by the sounds of Earl putting him to bed and talking to him.  
 _He really does like you, you lucky bastard, I'm just convenient. The friend he fucks sometimes because we're both weak and I'm stupid enough to think that maybe one day he'll change. He doesn't love me and you know what? I'm not even jealous much. After all the shit he's been through and can't even remember. I think he deserves to be happy._  
Footsteps and Cecil arriving at the camp. A few minutes later their hushed conversation that made him feel short of breath, stomach flipping. He saved the sound clip for further analysis.  
He had told Rochelle to call and cancel their visit to the lab. There was no way he could look either of his rescuers in the face.

 _Call me if you can, emergency_  
 _Busy, what's up?_  
 _scientist had sound recorder by our tent_  
 _how bad? we talked quiet_  
 _don't know, scared to ask_  
 _need to know_  
 _I can't ask_

Carlos eventually came back down to the lab next day. Rochelle couldn't meet his eye, made an excuse and left. She saw Cecil and Earl in her favourite coffee shop and couldn't back out in time. They exchanged a look, Cecil went to the counter to get more coffee as Earl took her arm and steered her to a spare seat at their table.  
Cecil pushed her latte towards her and started the interrogation.  
"How much did he hear?"  
"I don't know what you mean."  
"Don't lie to me, I have cake and I'm not afraid to use it."  
"Really, I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Earl?"  
"She's lying. Use the cake." 

Cecil brandished a fork over the plate laden with the speciality wheat-free lemon and lime cheesecake that Rochelle always stared at as she entered the coffee shop but never ordered. He filled the fork, fed a mouthful to Earl who rolled his eyes in mock ecstasy, then had some himself.  
"Oh, oh this is good. Mmm. Want some?"  
Rochelle looked at the confection. She opened her mouth to say yes but Cecil butted in before the word formed.  
"Talk! I know you're lying. You are a scientist. You must have listened to some of the recordings while your boss was incapacitated."  
Rochelle sighed. "I really..."  
Cecil fed Earl more cheesecake and took another mouthful for himself.  
"Wow there's a lot here, be a shame to bin the excess."  
Rochelle rolled her eyes.  
"That better be as good as it looks. Yes, I listened to the recording from your campsite. Can't believe I'm betraying my boss for cheesecake."  
It was good. They agreed that Rochelle would try to calm down Carlos and then Cecil would visit the lab on his own to apologise once Rochelle texted to say it was safe.

It took a couple of days for Rochelle to get Carlos on his own and pluck up the courage to say anything.  
"Why don't you invite Cecil over again? I heard the recording, it was just Earl being a dick."  
Carlos dropped the flask he was holding. It fizzed gently on the floor.  
"I can't. Oh god no I can't. You heard what they said?"  
"I heard Earl say that Cecil likes you and it was Earl that suggested, uh, okay, not going there. I met Cecil, he's really embarrassed and wants to apologise. We could all be here if you're worried about what to say, or I could shoo everyone out if you want privacy."  
"I can't."  
"Oh come on, what if everyone heard what everyone said when they thought it was private?"  
"Ell, that's why I don't talk much." 

It took some persuasion, but eventually Carlos agreed that Cecil could come to the lab.

"Uh, Earl? This is a weird one. Not sure you'll like it."  
Cecil felt around his back, for once wishing he wasn't phobic about mirrors. Earl called through from the living room.  
"Oh? New power? Let me guess," his voice got louder as he came through to the bathroom where Cecil had just finished his shower. "You can fart through walls? That's not new. Oh! That's kind of gross..."  
He stared at the small of Cecil's back.  
"You seem to have some kind of octopus parasite. Is it contagious?"  
Cecil frowned and tried in vain to twist enough to look at his own back.  
"No, they're part of me. Look."  
Cecil wiggled the tiny tentacles one at a time.  
Ever practical, Earl said Cecil was going to a need bigger shirt.

Next morning, the tentacles were bigger. Cecil spent the morning stretching and flexing, getting used to the new nerve connections and learning to use them with accuracy. Earl was not impressed when Cecil called in to show off.  
"Cecil, stop it. Those are all the glasses I have left and you're making them slimy."  
"I am not! And you smashed the others, not me."  
Cecil put down the glasses he had been juggling, trying to impress Earl with his new skills had backfired.  
"So it's all my fault, is it?"  
Cecil stayed quiet, recognising an argument brewing that he could not win.  
Earl sighed.  
"Sorry Cecil, it's just..." he shuddered. " _Those_ are weird."

Rochelle texted Cecil.  
 _come round later? C making cake. Just you, not E_  
 _He can bake? Tell him no wheat._  
 _see you after three_

Carlos liked baking. He didn't get the excuse often, but it calmed him. He called it _kitchen chemistry._  
He looked at the scales. There was just enough real flour left for one large cake so he better get it right first time. He weighed everything. Flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla essence, icing sugar, lemon juice...  
It was almost three o'clock. He had given his lab team an early finish, except for Rochelle and Dave. They had been friends for long enough that they would know what to say and whether to stay or go. Carlos had sworn Rochelle to secrecy, which meant that Dave knew what was going on but nobody else.  
Okay, cream the butter and sugar. Vanilla mmm.  
Add eggs and flour a bit at a time.  
When the consistency looked right he tipped the cake mix into a tin and put it in the oven, set the timer on his phone and went back downstairs. 

Cecil was already there in the break room. Dave was nowhere in sight and Rochelle stayed only long enough to say hello.  
He looked at Cecil until Cecil broke the awkward silence.  
"I asked them to go. I'm so embarrassed over what happened, I didn't want them to hear. I am so sorry. I wish..."  
Carlos held his hand up.  
"It wasn't meant for my ears, wasn't a serious comment, and you did save my life. I might have over-reacted. What Earl said..."  
"About a threesome? That was stupid, just silly banter."  
"No, the other stuff."  
Cecil stared.  
"What other stuff?"  
Carlos met his gaze, quizzical.  
"He didn't tell you what he said? I have the recording upstairs. You better come up and listen."

Cecil was nervous. The man he had a serious crush on had just invited him home. The context of listening to an illicit, embarrassing recording made his nervousness worse.  
"Sit if you want"  
Carlos waved at the sofa as he opened his laptop and plugged in his headphones.  
"Here."  
Carlos clapped the headphones over Cecil's ears and started the audio clip playing. Cecil listened.  
"Oh. Shit. Uh..."  
Carlos watched Cecil's face as his expression went from amusement to panic to ... what, exactly?  
"Cecil, are you okay?" 

Cecil was not okay. He sat with his hands over his face.  
"Cecil? Umm, it was just silly talk I'm sure."  
"No." Cecil shook his head. "Earl's right. I treat him badly, I don't love him like... Like he wants me to. But... Yeah, I'm weak and he's nice and he's there and... Oh shit."  
This was way beyond Carlos's human experience.  
"Uh Cecil? He seems okay with it."  
"No, I don't think he is, not really. I can tell, I can..." He stopped himself in time.  
"Oh? umm, should you be here then?"  
Cecil fixed Carlos with a look that made his stomach flip and his legs tingle.  
"I don't know. Should I?"

Carlos's phone timer chimed and the oven exploded.  
Several bright green snakes burst out of the cake tin disgorged by the defunct oven, growing noticeably in the time it took them to cool and make for the kitchen door. Cecil yelped and stood on the sofa.  
"Did you use wheat flour?"  
"What?"  
Carlos stood staring at the serpent that was heading straight for him.  
"What kind of flour did you use?"  
"Self raising, the normal kind."  
"Shit. That's banned for a reason!"  
Carlos was not quick enough to evade the attack. The snake wound around his legs and caused him to fall over as another made for his head.  
"Cecil! Get out!"  
Cecil snapped into action. He tore off his shirt and reached out with his new limbs. He caught the snakes that were exploring the tiny apartment and stuffed them into the freezer then unwound the two that had latched on to Carlos, crushing their necks to kill them as quickly as possible.  
Carlos stared and pointed, tried to catch a tentacle.  
"Those are..." Cecil waited in dread for the inevitable disgust. "Those are awesome! Can I see?"

Cecil hid the tentacles behind him.  
"No, please, just... no."  
Carlos looked disappointed.  
"Oh, okay then. Uh, do you want to borrow a shirt?"  
Cecil looked at the remains of his own shirt. He could probably mend it.  
"Yes please."  
Carlos looked at Cecil, tried not to stare either at his unusual anatomy or his bare chest and shoulders.  
"okay, better come and see what fits." 

Carlos led Cecil into his bedroom and opened the closet door.  
"Pick something. Sorry my taste probably doesn't match yours."  
As Cecil looked, so did Carlos. Cecil picked through Carlos's collection of flannel shirts and chose the biggest one as Carlos surreptitiously studied the tentacles.  
"Cecil, please can I see those? They are really impressive."  
"I've been told they're disgusting."  
"By whom?"  
Cecil shrugged.  
"Well, whoever they are, they are wrong. I'm making coffee downstairs, come down when you are ready."

Cecil went back down to the lab wearing Carlos's flannel shirt and carrying his ripped, buttonless lilac cotton one. There was a pot of coffee ready.  
"Thank you."  
"What for?"  
"I think you saved my life again. Is it some kind of habit?"  
Cecil smiled.  
"I just seem to be in the right place at the right time."  
"Uh-huh."  
Cecil reached for the coffee Carlos held out to him. The shirt sleeves, unfastened because Cecil hated tight cuffs, sagged a bit and as he lifted the cup to his lips his sleeves fell back revealing delicate wrists. Carlos watched, fascinated by the occasional glimpses, wondering if it was odd that on a man with eight gorgeous tentacles he was slightly turned on by the sight of his perfectly normal forearms.

"Cecil? Can I study you?"  
"No."  
"Not for personal reasons, just scientifically?"  
"No."  
"Oh."  
Cecil and Carlos sat in silence, drinking coffee.  
"Can I study you, um, for personal reasons?"  
Cecil smiled and slowly nodded. 


	8. Clearing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earl has reached breaking point with Cecil and Carlos won't take his warnings seriously.

Carlos put down his coffee.  
"How long have you had them?"  
"Only a couple of days."  
"What do they feel like?" Cecil stared at Carlos until Carlos elaborated, "to you, I mean."  
"They feel like arms, only not. They are part of me... I can't really compare them with anything else."  
"Are they completely under your conscious control?"  
Carlos watched surreptitiously as the tip of a tentacle poked out from under the hem of the shirt and dipped into the remains of his coffee.  
"I think so. Oh shit sorry! Uh, maybe not then. Can I get you fresh coffee? Maybe..." Cecil looked around at the lab break area which was a suitable location for a study of pathogens, "somewhere else?"

"Can I ask more questions about your limbs? Tell me if I am being rude, I don't always notice when words come out all wrong."  
"You can ask."  
"Where do you keep them when they are at rest?"  
"They retract a little and wrap. Look." Cecil unbuttoned the shirt and showed Carlos his tentacles relaxed and wrapped around his waist. "It feels a bit like hugging myself, you know?" He motioned wrapping his arms around himself. "It feels nice like this. Comforting."  
"How far can you reach? Can I see them all stretched out at once? Can I measure their length or take a photo with a scale for reference?"  
Carlos spilled out questions. Cecil covered up again.  
"No. I am not going to risk appearing in a scientific paper as part of a freakshow."

Carlos was aghast.  
"I would never, I had no intention of that! I'm interested in you... them. You... they are fascinating. Beautiful."  
Cecil stared in surprise. "Beautiful?"  
Carlos looked Cecil in the eyes. "Yes, beautiful. They are so perfectly adapted for reaching and manipulating objects. More flexible and adaptable than arms and hands. Please can I see one closer? Um, this one maybe?"  
Cecil coloured as Carlos pointed to an errant tentacle that had slipped onto Carlos's knee under the table. Clearly he was going to have to concentrate very hard on not thinking about touching Carlos. No, thinking about not touching Carlos. He pulled the tentacle back as Carlos reached for it then changed his mind and rested it on Carlos's outstretched hand.  
"Okay but I can't watch. I have to concentrate on keeping the others in place."  
Cecil laid his head on his arms on the table, closed his eyes and thought very hard about the position of the seven appendages tucked around his waist as he let Carlos examine the eighth. It was a torturously pleasurable experience. Carlos stood up with the sensitive tip of the tentacle curled around his right hand and stroked with his left from the tip to the base where it merged into Cecil's back. Next he stretched it out to its full length, running thumb and finger along it from base to tip, estimating silently.

"Mmm conservation of volume. When it gets longer it gets narrower to compensate. The skin feels... sorry do you mind?" Carlos reached back under the shirt and gently pinched the skin on Cecil's lower back. "The skin feels thicker than the surrounding skin, except at the tip. The last six inches, maybe eight, have quite delicate skin." Carlos stroked the end of the tentacle gently, massaging it with his thumb. "Does the tip feel more sensitive to you? Cecil?"  
Cecil kept his burning face buried out of sight in the crook of his elbow. He waited until his other tentacles released their grip on his groin, hidden under the table, before daring to muffle out a reply.  
"Yes. May I use your bathroom?"

Safely locked in the bathroom of Carlos's tiny apartment upstairs from the lab, Cecil let his imagination and his tentacles wander wherever they wanted. He stood with his arms against the wall, head resting on his forearm, as his tentacles snaked into his shorts. He felt his clothing being pushed out of the way, knew that somehow he was doing this himself but was unable to stop it, unwilling to stop.  
His tentacles were all busy. Two brushed over his chest, massaging his nipples. Two wrapped themselves around his erection and two rubbed along his perineum and cupped his scrotum gently. One found its way up to his mouth, making him feel like he was being simultaneously kissed and gagged. The last one probed long and thin into his entrance, pulsing and thickening until he came so hard his knees buckled and he sank to the floor.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Carlos made handwritten notes on his observations in his diary and locked it in his desk drawer.  
Cecil reappeared looking calmer.  
"Sorry about that. There were some, ah, unexpected consequences."  
"Oh? I'm sorry. Not painful, I hope?"  
"No, not painful. Just..." Cecil wondered for a moment if Carlos knew and was teasing him. "I think I'd rather talk about something else."  
"Okay." Carlos smiled. _Oh fuck I think he knows what I just did._  
"So, it's street cleaning day soon. Do you have a suitable bunker?"

They chatted for a while, which mostly consisted of Cecil warning Carlos about the dangers of living in Night Vale and Carlos saying _Mm-hmm?_ and _Oh?_. Cecil got the impression that Carlos wasn't taking street cleaning day seriously enough, but soon it was time for him to go to the station to prepare for his broadcast. They exchanged numbers _for purely professional reasons._ He would issue the standard street cleaning warning in his show and hopefully Carlos would listen properly.

 _Meet you for a drink after your show?_  
The weather was on and Cecil could reply to Earl's text.  
 _yes, usual place?_  
 _and usual time_  
 _ok c u there_

Earl was not there when Cecil arrived but there were two drinks at their usual place by the bar. The barman smiled and waved.  
"You two are usually here now, I got your drinks ready."  
Cecil smiled back.  
"Thanks."  
"Um, this is a bit forward but are you and the ruggedly handsome gentleman..."  
"Friends. Why?"  
The barman blushed. Cecil closed his eyes and felt embarrassment radiate from the young man. Embarrassment mixed with a touch of lust, excitement and fear as Earl sat beside him and, as usual, punched his arm. Earl lifted his drink and looked at the beermat. There was a phone number scribbled on it.  
"Looks like you have an admirer."  
The barman caught Cecil's eye. Cecil smiled and winked and felt the young man's confidence grow a little stronger. 

They had their drinks, paid and Cecil left a decent tip.  
"My place? Practice?"  
"Yeah."  
They went to Cecil's apartment.  
"Interesting choice of clothing, for you that is."  
"I borrowed it from Carlos. I went round to apologise for embarrassing him."  
"And lost your shirt? That's going to need a bit more explaining. I know I'm not your boyfriend or anything but I would like to know what is going on."  
"There was an incident with a cake. You know, wheat flour. My shirt got damaged when I ripped it off to catch the snakes with my tentacles and I borrowed this one."  
"You went to another man's apartment lured by the promise of cake, ripped off your shirt and caught wheat-snakes with your tentacles?"  
"Yes. I want to practise using them. I can do some really neat things, I think you might like..."  
"No. Absolutely not. Keep them out of sight. I'm sorry Cecil, I find your tentacles a bit gross. I don't want to see them or have to touch them."  
"They're part of me."  
Cecil could sense Earl's disgust and discomfort. He removed the flannel shirt and unwrapped his tentacles.  
"Carlos likes them, he wanted to study them and said they were beautiful. I let him touch one of them. This one." Cecil waved one of the biggest pair, the one on the right. He blinked and got a flash of repulsion and hurt, anger hovering in the background. Cecil kept pushing. "He stroked it all the way along and massaged the end. He could hardly take his eyes off them. The way he touched, firm but so gentle, nearly made me..."  
"Shut the fuck up Palmer you freak. I'm going to find out when that pretty barman gets off shift. No mind reading, no _Voice_ , no extra anatomy. Normal will make a nice change."  
Earl slammed the door on his way out. 

Earl went back to the bar and sat in the same seat as before. A drink appeared in front of him.  
"Thanks."  
"Trouble in paradise."  
"What?"  
"The name of that cocktail. I invented it. I'm a barman, you look upset. We're clearly made for each other. You tell me all about it and I pretend to listen."  
Earl laughed.  
"I'm not looking for a shoulder to cry on."  
"That's good, I don't know how to make that one. I can offer you a _quick fuck_ or a _blow job_ and if you've nowhere better to be I'm off the clock in an hour. If you're still here perhaps we can cheer each other up."

Cecil kept clear of both Earl and Carlos for over a week. He needed time to think. He buried himself in work at the station and watched TV alone after his shows, hugging himself with his tentacles and wearing Carlos's soft, flannel shirt. When he wore it he missed Earl less. He wished that Earl tolerated his tentacles, wished for a chance to show him just how useful they could be. He occasionally reached out to find Earl, picking him out from the cacophony of emotions. He thought about how different Carlos's reaction had been to Earl's. He had Carlos's number. Tentacles were scientific, right? That counted as a professional reason to text, didn't it?  
 _Remember street cleaning day tomorrow. Be careful and stay hidden._  
He wanted to invite Carlos to study him in a little more detail but could not decide how to phrase it. Perhaps talking would be better than texting.  
 _Can I see you after street cleaning is over? For coffee?_  
Cecil waited half an hour and there was no reply. It was late, he decided, and Carlos might have an early start at the lab, might want to get up early to get his team safely into the community bunker out back of Rico's. He got up and turned the TV off.  
As Cecil slipped into bed his phone chimed.  
 _I am replying for non-personal reasons. Street cleaning isn't very dangerous, is it?_  
 _This is Night Vale. Goodnight x_

Carlos read the last text, smiling and shaking his head. He had seen the signs attached to lamp-posts and railings warning people about street cleaning day and made sure that his car and the lab pickup were parked around the back instead of on the street.  
He wondered if Cecil signed off all of his text conversations with an x. He thought, _he probably does, seems like a friendly guy, but I hope not._

Carlos went to bed thinking about texting Cecil back and asking to see his tentacles again, perhaps he could study how the sensitivity of one of them changed from base to tip. He could text back, if he had any idea how to ask without giving offence. Carlos decided to ask in person so that he might be able to interpret Cecil's body language. That was science, after all.  
 _Yes coffee after street cleaning, where?_  
He got a reply almost immediately.  
Carlos fell asleep thinking about Cecil and his tentacles, dreamed about them and woke up wondering how secure it would feel to have all eight wrapped around him, holding him still while...  
Carlos groaned. This fantasy was definitely neither professional nor scientific.

Carlos got ready for work. He could usually make it from bed to bench in under ten minutes but he chose to spend a little longer than usual in the shower. His kitchen was still a disaster area. The oven door was propped against the opposite wall, there were bits of shrapnel from the cake tin embedded in the cupboard doors and he knew, although he refused to look, that his freezer was full of wheat-snakes. He made coffee in the break area of the lab and took it to his bench. It was bad practice to eat or drink in the work area but none of the other scientists had turned up yet.  
He started with his usual routine of reading emails and checking the internet for any new interesting phenomena. Texts started to arrive from his team. One by one they made excuses, variations on a theme of _My neighbour insists I shelter in their bunker today._  
Carlos sighed, but he was not disappointed. A day in the lab on his own was something to treasure. Perhaps he could call Cecil and ask him to come over. For strictly scientific, purely professional purposes. He drank his coffee and looked at the time. His watch said it was eight-twenty, maybe too early to call someone who did a late show on the radio. Every other clock, including the computer, said a different time. That was worth investigation too.

But not when there was unique biology on offer. Carlos picked up his phone and found Cecil in his contacts.  
"Cecil? It's Carlos. I am calling from the lab for scientific reasons."  
"Mmm, Oh? Carlos?"  
"Sorry, is it too early? Did I wake you? Um, I am alone at the lab today and I wondered if you would..."  
"You are at the lab? Carlos! Get somewhere safe right now! They are almost here!" 

Cecil swore. He wished the Scientist that Night Vale had chosen had a stronger survival instinct. He climbed up out of the bunker shared between residents of his apartment building, ignoring their protests and tutting as he sensed at least one of them feeling relief that there was one less body in the limited space.  
"Earl, I need your help."  
Earl sighed down the phone.  
"Let me guess. Gorgeous but stupid scientist, impending dismemberment and death, Scoutmaster to the rescue?"  
"More or less. He's in his lab. Will you help?"  
"Probably. See you there."  
"Thanks. Really. Thanks."  
Earl turned his pickup around in the sand wastes and headed back to the road and back into town. He grinned at his companion.  
"I have to do a thing. I'll take you to the scout bunker and pick you up again later. It's almost as safe as being in the desert. Don't try teaching my boys any cocktails, they are all underage and very good with knots."

Cecil lay flat on the roof opposite the lab. He could see Carlos through the window, taking apart a clock and examining the workings, his bench covered with similarly disembowelled timepieces, Petri dishes and a microscope. He thought about going in to talk to Carlos, persuade him to go to a bunker, but warnings had already failed. _My lovely, stubborn, stupid scientist!_ he said to the breeze. _You're going to catch a bad case of death if you won't listen._

Cecil saw Earl's pickup slew around the corner of the building, vanishing from sight into the yard behind. Carlos was oblivious. He wore a pair of headphones and was tapping and nodding in rhythm. Cecil smiled, he looked so happy, almost dancing across the lab to the coffee machine in the corner. _Wonder if the secret police have a surveillance camera in there? I'd love a copy of that scene._ Cecil laughed as Carlos twirled back into view, spilling his coffee and mopping it up with the sleeve of his lab-coat.

He stopped laughing as he heard the sound of the street cleaning squad approach, their boots thumping in unison and their cleaning equipment clanking and clicking, the compactors for carrying waste thrumming behind, followed by the water trucks that would remove any stains. He counted. A team of twelve cleaners, one compactor and a water truck headed down the street looking and listening for any sign of heat, sound or movement.  
Cecil kept perfectly still. A muffled scream was cut off as a squaddie dispatched an unfortunate who had sneezed at the wrong time. The cleaner hauled the squirming body out of a doorway, stopping it's potential for movement with a quick thrust from a sharpened and reinforced broom handle. The compactor whined into action then a hiss followed as the water truck operator washed the fresh blood down a drain.

Cecil closed his eyes and reached out. Earl was there, out of sight and as silent as a scout could be, waiting for a signal. Carlos was a patch of void, still dancing. The cleaning squad revealed themselves as a dozen clouds of stultified, unquestioning order-following. But they were human, at least in part. Cecil stood up as Carlos switched his music from his headphones to the lab speakers, turned up the volume and started to sing along.  
Twelve heads snapped to attention. Twelve bodies marched in time as the cleaners converged on the source of the sound. Cecil shouted and Earl leapt out, waving.  
 _"LEAVE THAT BUILDING, TURN AROUND."_  
The cleaning squad stopped. Six of them turned to see Earl and gave chase as he ran. The compactor followed. The remaining six squaddies turned to face Cecil.

One started to climb the fire escape to the roof as the others waited for it to do its job. It appeared over the low wall of the roof, holding its mop out in front of it, twirling it to spin the sharpened steel mop-head towards Cecil's chest.  
 _"STOP"_  
The cleaner paused for just long enough for Cecil to grab the mop handle and the cleaner's arms with enough tentacles to overpower it and wrench the weapon from its grip. Cecil spun the mop around, thrust the steel blades into the cleaner's neck and used the mop to propel it backwards until it fell off the roof and landed in front of the rest of the squad.

 _"Leave that building. Move along. Keep to schedule."_  
The cleaning squad stood still. Cecil could feel their confusion every time he blinked. He texted Carlos as he repeated his command.  
 _turn off your music and hide_  
 _"MOVE ON, KEEP TO SCHEDULE"_  
Cecil saw Carlos look at his phone and the music stopped. Carlos's face appeared at the window, took in the scene. Cecil saw the look of shock just before the face ducked out of sight.  
Cecil looked at his phone, on silent with vibrate deactivated.  
 _shit I thought you were just being over dramatic_  
Cecil stood rock still as the five remaining cleaners picked up their broken colleague, turned and marched on towards the town centre with the water truck following close behind.

As soon as they were out of sight, Cecil climbed down the fire escape and ran to the lab. He didn't bother knocking. Carlos was lying face down on the floor under the windows with his arms over his head.  
Cecil put a hand on his shoulder. Carlos flinched, peering up as Cecil whispered.  
"It's me. I think it is safe to get up but stay quiet, they have moved on but might come back. Have you a bunker or a room in the centre of the building? One with no outside walls or windows?"  
Carlos nodded and pointed upstairs. He crawled away from the windows and got up, took Cecil's arm and led him silently up the internal staircase to his apartment, past the kitchen and into the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bath. Cecil closed the toilet seat and sat down.  
"Cecil, what the fuck were they?"  
Cecil put a finger to his lips and replied with another whisper and a shrug.  
"Cleaners."

Carlos was trembling slightly.  
"What... how often... um... what..."  
"Not often, I get a warning and it's my job to tell everyone. About once a year I think. They just clean up. Anything that isn't silent and out of sight gets removed."  
"Anything?"  
"Or anyone. Yes."  
Carlos wrapped his arms around himself. He laughed nervously.  
"I could use a set of tentacles of my own right now." 

Cecil moved to sit beside Carlos and turned to face away from him. He allowed his tentacles to uncurl from his waist and wrap around Carlos then closed his eyes.  
"Is this okay?"  
"Yes. Thank you."  
They sat back-to-back in silence until Cecil checked his phone and found a message from Earl.  
 _All clear, going to release scouts to deal with any stray cleaners left behind._  
Cecil sighed with relief and spoke in a voice he made as normal as possible as he retrieved his tentacles one at a time.  
"We can go back downstairs now, there are just a few stragglers to make safe then we can go outside again."  
He couldn't swear to it, but he thought he felt Carlos stroke then kiss the last tentacle, the one he had been holding on to across the front of his shoulders, just before he let it go.

Once downstairs, Carlos made coffee and brought it to his work bench where Cecil studied the broken clocks.  
"What are you working on?"  
"Time isn't right in Night Vale. At first I thought it was just that clocks don't work properly here but it's not that. Not just that, anyway."  
He pushed a Petri dish over to Cecil. It contained grey goo, some hairs and a tooth.  
"That comprises the inner workings of the clock that used to be on the lab wall. Anyway..." Cecil smiled as Carlos relaxed and became more animated as he talked about science. He watched and listened to the pitch and timbre of his voice without really taking in much of what was said. He became aware that Carlos was looking at him expectantly. Cecil felt heat rise up his face.  
"Um.. that's really neat?"  
Carlos grinned.  
"You have no idea what I said, have you? I'm sorry. Let me buy you decent coffee and I'll explain properly if you want." 


	9. Is that a graduated cylinder in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos examines Cecil's tentacles.  
> And are those pterodactyls?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's all out of order. Don't care.

Carlos frowned at Cecil.   
"No I don't think it is that, although our perception makes a difference. As you say, time flies when you're having fun, but this is a comparison between clocks here and clocks elsewhere on the same planet. They should all tick at the same rate, but they don't. It's really fascinating how... Oh, I'm sorry. I ramble."   
Cecil covered his mouth.   
"I am so sorry! I did not mean to be rude. I'm tired, not bored. I like listening to you talk about science, even if I don't understand it all. Please, keep going."   
"No, I think time may have flown for me and dragged for you. I should get back to work. Thank you for... you know."   
Cecil smiled.   
"Will you listen to warnings now?"   
"I will consider it." 

Carlos made no effort to get up and leave. Cecil watched his expression, his slight frown and the tight line of his lips. Finally he asked.   
"Something bothering you, Carlos?"   
"I shouldn't ask. I just bored you almost to sleep, but..."   
"Yes."   
"Can I study your anatomy in a little more detail?"   
"I said yes."   
"Do you have time now? The lab is empty."   
"Yes." 

They returned to the lab, where Cecil sat on the work bench and removed his, or rather Carlos's, shirt. He put it on again back to front after uncoiling his tentacles and resting them on the bench-top. Carlos averted his eyes as Cecil changed then helped to pull the shirt over Cecil's shoulders. He had _science_ to do. Cecil pushed the cuffs up his forearms and turned a little to smile at Carlos.   
"This is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me."   
"It is weird," Carlos replied with a shrug. "Also pretty cool. Can you keep them relaxed while I palpate along them?"   
"I can try." 

Carlos worked mostly from behind Cecil, oblivious to the effect that his systematic manipulation and measurement of Cecil's tentacles was having on him. He stroked and stretched, coaxed and coiled, prodded and pinched while Cecil sat with his head down, white-knuckle-gripping the edge of the bench, feet on a stool and knees as high as comfort allowed, glad of the baggy fabric of the shirt as he surreptitiously unfastened his trousers. Somehow Carlos's running commentary on what he was doing was simultaneously comforting and erotic.   
_"...this one is slightly longer, I thought the pairs were identical. Can you retract it for me? Oh! wow that's strong. Hey, Cecil, have you seen what the tip of this one can do? It has this kind of pulsing motion if I squeeze it just here, reminds me of... um, okay. Moving on. This pair has a rougher underside. I wonder if that is for grip? Cecil, can you coil this one around my arm and I will try to slip out? No, I can't move at all. That is awesome! Now this pair, oh that's just lovely. They are perfect, can you wiggle the tip a little? Mmm yes like that. Very delicate, I bet this pair is really useful. These are amazing, Cecil, I could study them all day if you would allow it... "_

Carlos slowly stroked the full length of the longest pair, closing his eyes to focus on the texture and the way the muscles moved under his fingers. Cecil whimpered quietly.   
"Are you okay? Warm enough?"   
"Yes."   
"I am going to do a sensitivity test. I need you to tell me how many pricks you can feel."   
Carlos held a set of adjustable points so that Cecil could see them.   
"I will set the points a certain distance apart, touch them gently to your tentacle skin and when I ask I want you to tell me whether you feel two, one or no points. Then I will repeat the procedure with the points set closer together. Is that okay?"   
"Yes."   
"Are you sure you are okay? Am I causing you pain? It won't hurt, I can show you on your arm..."   
"Yes. No. Sorry, there is uh... a physical reaction I can't quite control."   
Cecil curled over himself. Carlos put the instrument down, suddenly aware of the reason for Cecil's discomfort.   
"Oh! I will stop. Uh, do you need to use my bathroom again?"   
Cecil nodded. Carlos turned his back then busied himself in the break area as Cecil darted upstairs.

Cecil returned a while later, looking more composed. He was relieved that Carlos chose not to ask any more probing scientific questions. Carlos seemed to be unable to make eye contact with him, which suited Cecil because of the fantasy he had just indulged in as he let his tentacles deal with his arousal slowly.   
"I should go."   
"Okay."   
"Sorry."   
"I should apologise. I was too busy with my observations to _see_ and I caused us both to get embarrassed."   
"No harm done."   
"Does that happen whenever anyone touches them?"   
"No-one else has, so I don't know.   
"What about Earl?"   
"He left me, he has someone else now. The tentacles were too much for him."   
"Oh?" Carlos wondered what to do with this information. He made eye contact. "I would still like to perform a sensitivity test, for scientific reasons, maybe just on one of them and with you telling me to stop if there is an unwelcome physical reaction to it."   
Cecil struggled to interpret Carlos's expression.   
"Oh it wasn't entirely... uh... Now might be safe."   
Carlos shook his head.   
"No, I need to think of a way of getting comparable, valid data. Properly controlling the variables. Technically, I should conduct every investigation with you in the same... condition."   
Cecil laughed.   
"Well, I have heard some dodgy pick up lines in the past but that tops them all!"   
Carlos felt heat rise up his face as he giggled and looked away.

A few days had passed since Carlos's study of Cecil, long enough for Carlos to get over his embarrassment and actually pick up his phone when Cecil called. They sat at what Cecil thought of as the "wrong" end of the bar near his place.   
"So, you and Earl..?"   
Cecil had invited Carlos out for a drink after his show, a show in which he talked about how much he appreciated science these days. Carlos had said _okay, but it's just a drink, why are you laughing?_ and Cecil thought it best not to explain. They sat facing each other, mirror images, leaning opposite elbows against the bar, knees almost touching. Cecil shook his head.   
"Over. He won't talk to me and I'm still a little hurt that he reacted so badly to my..." he looked around, "...unusual anatomy. So that's finished."   
"Are you upset about it?"   
"A little pissed off, that's all. It would probably not have lasted anyway. What about you? Anyone lurking in your background?"   
Carlos laughed.   
"No. I just do science. Whenever I think I have a chance with someone I always screw it up by going on some scientific monologue. One guy just got up and walked out halfway through a dinner date once. I think I was talking about the structure of muscle fibres and the role of calcium ions. We were having steak so I thought it was an appropriate conversation topic. I even drew a diagram on a paper napkin."   
Cecil leaned forwards slightly and let a smaller tentacle rest on Carlos's knee.   
"I am _really_ into science." 

Carlos sipped his drink, not looking at Cecil and not looking at the tentacle. He reached a hand down, stroked the tip with one finger.   
_I should go, I know what this does to him, does he know what it does to me? I mean I saw him at the lab but did he see me? Did he see what I did in the break area as he went upstairs to.. uh...? I hope not and I hope so too, urgh..._   
Cecil watched Carlos. The scientist responded nervously to his gentle invitation. He waited until the third time Carlos's index finger tickled over the tip of his tentacle before starting to speak.   
"Carlos, would you like to..." _come home with me and I will show you what these can do?_   
The second half of the sentence dried in his mouth as Carlos looked past him over his shoulder, sat up straight, clutched his drink with his tentacle-hand and said, "hello Earl. I was just going." 

Earl looked at Carlos.   
"No, please stay. Here," he called the barman over and ordered. "Have another drink. I could use company."   
The barman scowled and they moved to a vacant table. 

Carlos watched Earl and Cecil bicker. Cecil goaded Earl by touching him with a tentacle. Earl pulled his chair back and called him names. Carlos wondered if Earl was aware that Cecil still had one tentacle gently resting on his knee under the table. He placed a hand over it for a few minutes, stroked it once then excused himself. When he came back from the men's room, Cecil had gone. He sat opposite Earl.   
"You and Cecil?"   
"Over."   
"You and the angry barman?"   
"Also over."   
"Oh."   
"Cecil is pissed off with me because now he has to find a different bar. I told the barman I was... oh never mind. It doesn't matter. Cecil went home in a mood."   
"Oh."

They drank in awkward silence for a while.   
"Cecil and I have been friends for a long time."   
"Oh?"   
"I say some stupid things sometimes. So does he."   
"Yes."   
"Do you have someone in your life?"   
"I have science."   
"Are you looking for someone? I can't believe you'd struggle to find... you are quite... umm... good looking."   
Carlos looked at Earl, frowning.   
"I have to go. Early start at the lab."

_You left. Why?_   
_Earl. I wanted to wrap a tentacle around his stupid neck._   
_Understandable. Can I see you again? Sensitivity test?_   
_Not tomorrow, I have to cover the PTA meeting at the rec centre all morning then station all afternoon & evening._   
_Ok_

Cecil was irritated with Earl and dishonest with Carlos. He had not sensed Earl's presence behind him. His ability to detect the emotions of those around him was fading, and by the time Earl had taunted him about hitting on Carlos, Cecil had no idea whether he was joking or not. Cecil left to see what Earl would do and how Carlos would react. He smiled to himself, clearly Earl had not been Carlos's type. He texted Carlos once more.   
_meet you for lunch? Outside rec centre about one?_   
_ok_

Next morning Carlos told the team he was going to do some investigations of time anomalies at the rec centre. By nine-thirty he was engrossed in setting up data-logging equipment around the building, inside and out, always managing to be wherever Cecil wasn't. He could hear from outside that the meeting was about to start as the PTA members chanted _All Hail_ a few times. He imagined Cecil with a portable recording kit, fussing with microphones and wearing his headphones on one ear and off the other. He wondered to himself how many microphones Cecil was using, he could have one in each tentacle and still have his hands free. He thought how much he would like to see that, slowly opened the door to the hall and crept inside.

Cecil stood near the front of the large hall. He wore a loose tunic that hid his extra appendages and held one microphone that he was setting up an a stand. Carlos smiled when he saw that he had been right about the headphones. Cecil went up to the chairbeing of the PTA and attempted to fit it with a radio-mic. The attempt was unsuccessful.   
The meeting started. Carlos's data-loggers would be busy without any interference from him so he could watch Cecil work for a while. Cecil seemed to be part of an argument about scones that ended with a sullen silence.   
Suddenly, Carlos's danger-meter vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, waved it around to get a fix on the location of whatever set it off and frowned as the meter shorted out and stopped working. But he no longer needed it, the danger was quite obvious.   
There were pterodactyls circling overhead and there was a patch of quivering void near the ceiling.

Carlos watched in horror as the pterodactyls dived. He ran forward to push someone out of the path of a hungry reptile, getting a nip on the calf as he slid across the floor. He saw another attack, a sharp serrated beak, guided by a cold unblinking eye, aimed straight for...   
"NO!"   
Carlos scrambled to his feet and ran for the front of the hall as Cecil was lifted into the air, dropped and lifted again. He was screaming. Carlos raised the broken danger-meter and threw it with all his strength at the dinosaur's head. The machine's hard plastic case caught the creature's eye and it dropped Cecil as it fell, shaking its head in surprise. 

Carlos dived forwards and lifted Cecil, staggered to the back of the hall and out of the door as several heavily armed, black-clad figures entered. He laid Cecil down and felt for breathing and pulse. He was alive, he was breathing. He was bleeding.   
He was regaining consciousness. Carlos felt around to try to find the source of the bleeding. His basic first aid training half-remembered, he knew he should have gloves on for this but there was no time. He could feel Cecil's tentacles under his tunic. They were still wrapped around him, but they were limp and loose. Carlos lifted the hem to get a better idea of the extent of Cecil's injuries. The tentacles lay without grip, slid off Cecil's skin and did not respond to Carlos's touch. He rolled Cecil onto his side to check the back.   
"Oh! Oh no. Oh Cecil." 

Carlos rested one hand on Cecil's upper arm as with his other he felt around the base of the tentacles. They were no longer attached. The bleeding had stopped and the area where the tentacles had writhed out of Cecil's lower back showed a symmetrical flower-shaped pattern of wounds. Carlos gathered up the remains of the tentacles and wrapped them in his lab coat. He called Dave to come out and retrieve the data loggers and told him what had happened.   
Cecil groaned and whimpered.   
"I'm cold."   
"Come on, let's get you somewhere warmer."   
Carlos helped Cecil up slowly and mostly carried him to his car. He set the blowers to hot and aimed them at the passenger side.   
"Where do you live?"   
"Take me to your place."   
Carlos drove to the lab, carried Cecil inside and upstairs to his apartment as Rochelle followed with a first aid kit and a concerned expression. He took Cecil into his bedroom and laid him carefully on his side. Rochelle hovered by the door until Carlos took the first aid kit from her and asked her to see if Dave needed backup at the rec centre. He rested a hand on Cecil's arm again for a moment then tucked the blankets around him.   
He went back out to the car and retrieved the lab coat containing the tentacles. When he opened it, they disintegrated into eight puffs of grey smoke just like the wheat-snakes had done when he tried to defrost and dissect them.

Cecil woke up to find he was in Carlos's bed with Carlos sitting beside him, snoozing over a book. It was dark.   
"Carlos?"   
"Nnngh?"   
"Carlos."   
" 'mwake." Carlos yawned. "Oh! You're awake. How do you feel?"   
"Like there is something missing. Carlos? I miss them. They were so... warm. Comforting."   
Cecil hugged his arms around his waist but it was not enough. Carlos watched for a few seconds then wrapped his arms over Cecil's and held him. Cecil leaned his head back onto Carlos's shoulder.   
"Thank you. I think you saved me this time."   
They lay spooned and hugging for several minutes until Cecil asked what time it was.   
"I have to go, my show..."   
"Can't someone cover for you? You've had a really rough day."   
Cecil sighed.   
"Trust me, if I could stay here and be looked after I would, but I have a professional obligation to Night Vale to report on what happens here. I have to go."   
"I admire your dedication. Can I drive you there?"   
Cecil accepted. After Carlos dropped him at the station, he wondered if Earl would want Cecil back. He couldn't compete with Earl, whatever the scout seemed to think.

And it was almost Valentine's Day too. The most depressingly lonely day in his calendar.


	10. Valentines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are break ups, make ups and hopes.  
> Valentine's day is a disaster but why does Cecil report it so strangely?  
> And Earl has an important message for Carlos.

Cecil went home to find Earl on his doormat.  
"I listened to your show. Are you okay?"  
"Not really."  
"Want to tell me about it?"  
"Not really."  
"I promise not to be a dick about it. Scoutmaster's honour."  
Cecil sighed.  
"Come in then." 

Earl produced a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.  
"Peace offering."  
"Thanks."  
"What happened?"  
"I lost two powers in twenty four hours. I miss one of them."  
"So...?"  
"I can no longer see how you are feeling and my anatomy is standard human, give or take some unusual scarring."  
"Oh. So you're normal again?"  
"I think you should leave now." 

"I'm sorry, that's not how that was supposed to sound." Earl sighed.  
"How was your day, then?"  
"Better than yours, I think. The barman dumped me. Said I was a pervert."  
Cecil smiled into his wine glass.  
"Oh?"  
"Apparently one should ask before indulging in anything involving bends and hitches."  
Cecil laughed then slapped his hand over his mouth, eyes wide. "Oh no, don't tell me you..."  
"Mm-hmm. We need to find a different bar. I dread to think what he'll put in my drinks." 

Cecil grudgingly realised that he forgave Earl. Part of him wanted not to, wanted to throw him out for being so awful about the tentacles. But he had missed their easy banter and shared experiences to talk about.  
"So what happened after I left you and Carlos at the bar?"  
"Oh, I told him he was good looking and he left. My natural charm did its usual trick by being completely absent when I needed it. You do know I was just messing around, right?"  
"What if he had taken you seriously? wanted to go further? Would you still have been just messing around?"  
"I didn't think of that to be honest, he was so into you."  
Cecil put his glass down and leaned forwards.  
 _"Really?"_  
"Is it only your _third eye_ that stopped working? Try using the other two a bit more."

The friends finished the bottle of wine, laughing and insulting each other. Cecil said he had another in the kitchen so they started on it too. When Cecil's shirt rode up as he bent over the cupboard, Earl called Cecil's new scars his _tramp stamp_ so Cecil questioned the provenance of Earl's impressive collection of scars, _I bet you got that set from the barman's fingernails!_. Earl told Cecil that Carlos was only into his tentacles because he wanted access to the considerable shorter appendage on the other side and Cecil said that at least his was bigger than Earl's whose looked _like the last chipolata at Thanksgiving, you know, the shrivelled one everybody has prodded but nobody wants to put in their mouth._

That's where adding insult to alcohol led to competition. Earl rummaged in his pockets and produced a measuring tape.  
"If you're really into science, let's do this scientifically."  
Cecil giggled.  
"You have got to be kidding. We're not teenagers!"  
Earl smiled. He remembered, although Cecil did not, that as fourteen year olds he had won a bet unwisely made in a tent out in the sand wastes. He reckoned he would still win. He pulled out a few inches of the tape then pressed the button that made it recoil with a snap.  
"Come on Palmer, you show me yours and I'll show you mine."

"Well that has never happened before!"  
Cecil was delighted. They had rejected anything involving measurements, giggled over their ideas for different competitions and settled on arm wrestling. He had beaten Earl in a game of strength for the first time ever.  
"Fluke! Best of three? Drink up."  
Cecil won again. Earl suggested changing the game to wrestling. From a kneeling start, first to hold the other's shoulders on the floor for a count of _three hooded figures_ wins. They cleared the furniture to the edges of the room and knelt facing each other in the middle of the rug.  
"On a count of three," instructed Earl. "One.. THREE!"  
Cecil was bowled backwards onto the rug by Earl's bodyweight slamming into his smaller frame. He felt his shoulders pushed back and heard Earl counting.  
"ONE _hoodedfigure_ TWO _hoodedfigures..._ "  
Cecil sat up, swivelled his legs around to get purchase on the rug and pushed Earl over onto his side. He got one of Earl's shoulders onto the floor then lay on top of his friend to roll him over and get the other shoulder down too. He counted, giggling, as he lay on top of Earl feeling him writhing and trying to get up. After "THREE _hoodedfigures_ " Cecil rolled off and sat up, grinning.  
Earl rubbed his ribs where a careless knee had caught him.  
"Jeez, Cecil, have you been working out? Best of three?"

Cecil won the next round too, ending up looking down at his friend with one knee on each of Earl's shoulders, and he won the redundant third round that was just for fun. Earl tried strategy over strength on the third round. He waited until Cecil got almost to THREE then grabbed his crotch. Cecil squirmed and rolled away, yelling _Cheat!_. Earl took his chance and dived on top of Cecil. It was a temporary victory. Cecil rolled him over onto his back again, straddled his chest and held him down with one hand on each shoulder.  
"Have you been granted Scout strength to replace your... you know?"  
"Oh! That would explain it. I never work out. Neat! Do you think Carlos will want to study this?"  
"Nope, he just wanted your... freaky anatomy. Kinky bastard."  
"Wonder what else I can do? It's nice to be able to beat you at games you always win, but wrestling on the floor has limited uses I think."  
"I could come round tomorrow, drive you to the sand wastes and help you find out? Scout physical tests?"  
Cecil shuddered.  
"Urgh, no but thanks for the offer."

Earl was both relieved and disappointed when Cecil got up and straightened the furniture by himself. Having Cecil hold him down was interesting and made him want to reach up and... but he promised himself he wouldn't be that kind of friend any more. This new power encroached on his own territory and he didn't like it. He had lost two competitions that he was used to winning.  
"Hey Cecil, are you still shit at holding your breath?"

Earl went home having lost three competitions. On the way he stopped by the bar as it was closing. He waited for the barman to finish locking up and called over.  
"Dil? Dilip? Can we talk?"  
"What for?"  
"I'm sorry. I'm not used to, uh, boyfriends who are not Cecil."  
"You said he wasn't your boyfriend, and neither am I."  
"I know. It's a long, boring story. I'm sorry I hurt you, sorry I scared you, that's all."  
Dilip paused, watching Earl's expression change from hope to resigned disappointment. He rolled his eyes.  
"Earl, I think you're a nice guy but I don't like surprises and I bet you don't either. Walk me home?"  
Earl smiled and offered a hand. Dilip took it. Earl looked at the fine boned structure of the slender fingers and turned to see the delicate jawline that he wanted to kiss and the thick hair swept forwards into a fashionable style, the sparkle of a single earring worn high on the pinna. They walked. Dilip paused at the entrance to a squat, featureless, concrete apartment block. He looked up at Earl.  
"This is me. I, um, I have a surprise that you might not like too. Perhaps it would make us even, I forget your surprise if you overlook mine, or we both walk away. Come in?"

Earl hesitated. They had not really got far with each other despite what he had told Cecil. Hand-holding and desperate, needy kisses. The incident that freaked Dilip out had stopped them from going any further. He had play-wrestled Dilip into his bedroom, looped a cord around his hands and the bed-frame then whispered something about undressing him slowly and teaching him the meaning of the name of one of his favourite cocktails. Dilip's reaction had been pure, unexpected panic.  
They went upstairs. Dilip unlocked a door and gestured for Earl to enter the small apartment. Clean, tidy, tiny. There was a kitchen area along one wall with a fridge and a microwave, a living area with a table and two chairs and a queen bed in the corner next to a door that, as Earl expected, led to a cramped shower room.  
Dilip closed the door and stepped past Earl to the living area. He removed his work shirt to reveal a white, tight undershirt and well-toned arms.  
"Mmm, you work out a bit?"  
"Yes."  
Dilip struggled out of the undershirt. Earl stared.  
"Door is right behind you if you have a problem with this. Face is up here, by the way."  
"No it's fine, really fine. Really, really fine. I am surprised though. I've never seen such a nice pair of tits on a man before."

Earl woke up next morning and smiled as the shape under his arm shifted. Dilip had rules about what he could and couldn't touch and that was okay. Earl had removed his shirt (saying that it was only fair) and Dilip had seen his Scoutmaster scars. He got up and went to the bathroom. When he came back, Dilip was up making coffee.  
"Dil, I better go. I need to shower and change, clean shorts since I slept in these ones."  
"Okay. You know where I'll be later. If it's quiet we can have a chat."  
Earl hugged Dilip, left and walked home without thinking about Cecil at all. 

Cecil woke up, clutched his head and groaned. He was sure Earl had refilled his glass more often than his own. He rummaged in the bathroom cabinet, found the paracetamol and took two with a large glass of water and went back to bed.

Carlos woke up, winced at his sore calf muscles as he got out of bed, showered, dressed and went downstairs to make coffee in the lab break area. Dave was there. He appeared to be colouring in.  
"Whatcha doing?"  
Dave tried to hide his handiwork but Carlos saw. Dave handed over the card and pointed at the colouring pencils on the table.  
"I know it's sappy, but you can't get Valentine cards anywhere in town. It's for Rochelle and if you tell her I will kill you."

Cecil groaned as his phone vibrated. Why couldn't hangover recovery be a power?  
 _How are you today?_  
 _Hungover but ok. I still miss them._  
 _Want to talk about it?_  
 _No._  
 _Ok._  
Cecil wondered if that last _Ok_ was sent with a shrug or with a smile or with a disappointed frown. He hovered over the number and hit "call". He left a voicemail.  
"Carlos? Hi. Sorry I have no extra anatomy for you to study but I would like to see you later if you have time. I will be having lunch at Big Rico's around one, join me if you want."

Carlos really did intend to go and meet Cecil. Rico's was just next door so it could not have been easier. But when he started clearing up an experiment that had resulted in a rather biological explosion, it was after half past.  
 _Cecil, I am sorry! I got your message and I wanted to meet you but, you know, science would not wait. Are you still there?_  
Cecil read the message and turned around, walked back towards Rico's and the lab.  
 _I just left._  
 _Can I see you later instead?_  
Cecil sighed.  
 _Not tonight, I need an early night and the bar is off-limits._

Cecil seemed only to work and sleep for the next few days. Earl was always busy but would not say why, just warned him not to go to the bar. Carlos did not contact him at all and Cecil wondered if he was of no further interest to the scientist.

Valentine's day came and the town shuddered. Literally. Cecil broke the silence  
 _Carlos, take cover and stay safe. Valentine's day is bad this year._  
 _Why do I need to take cover from a complete lack of romantic interest?_  
Cecil called. This time Carlos answered.  
"Carlos, I'm serious. There are buildings falling and gas leaks, I am reporting from the housing development near your lab. There are people lying here with shrapnel wounds, shit Carlos it's a war zone just a mile from you and I'm not even sure who or what is attacking!"  
"Then get out of there Cecil, come to the lab. I'm sure it's safe here."  
"Carlos, you've no..."  
The phone went dead. Carlos grabbed his specially reinforced lab-coat, went outside and listened. Was that gunfire? Was that rumble an unfelt earthquake or the sound of a building collapse? He ran in the direction of the sound, ignoring the warning yells from the people running in the opposite direction.

Cecil had not exaggerated. The housing development was flattened, obliterated. There were bodies on the ground and cleanup squads collecting them up. Carlos shivered, remembering street cleaning day. Dust from the rubble clogged the air and darkened the sky, made breathing a struggle. Carlos smelled gas just in time to duck and hit the ground in a crouch, pulling his protective lab coat over himself and shielding his ears as an explosion rang out around him. He came to seconds later, staggered up and saw a gas main belching orange fire and black smoke skywards.  
 _Incomplete combustion of methane, better look out for all that carbon monoxide!_ the thought made him feel better. He looked for more science to reassure himself.  
 _That building is still up, concrete, high compressive strength, shit tensile strength, probably reinforced._ He made his way towards the building, carefully. Earl was there with a squad of scouts, looking for survivors.  
"Where's Cecil?"  
"WHAT?"  
"WHERE IS CECIL?"  
"CAN'T HEAR, EXPLOSION," Earl elaborated.  
Carlos searched around the building, found another entrance and went in.

Cecil was further out, recording a statement from a witness to the explosion.  
"... and there was this guy in a long coat, a white one with stains on it, he kind of bunched down under the coat when the gas main blew then just got up, shook himself down and ran to that building."  
The woman pointed.  
"What, um, what did this man look like?"  
"Long shaggy dark hair, bit shorter than you maybe, probably really handsome if it wasn't for all the dust."  
Cecil set off for the only remaining building at a run. He suspected that it would not be allowed to stand in the way for long. He had seen the bulldozers moving in with their gaudy yellow logos. Sure enough, as he neared the building the end wall started a controlled collapse set off by a series of explosions near the ground. He ran faster, unaware that he was shouting.  
"CARLOS! CARLOS!"  
Carlos couldn't hear because of his temporary deafness after the explosions that sent the floor on a tilt and brought down masonry around him. He dived under a door frame like he had been taught to do during a brief study tour in California, thinking _Huh? is it an earthquake? We're not on a fault line as far as I know. But I get the feeling that as far as Night Vale is concerned I don't know shit._  
Carlos saw a wooden desk in the next room. He dived under it and curled up, wrapped in his lab-coat, as the doorway he had used for shelter collapsed and the wall disappeared in a cloud of dust. He ran for the next room, noticed a trapdoor and let himself into the basement. He curled up again in the corner wondering whether he would die from a falling block as he tried to dig himself out, or from slow dehydration whilst waiting to be found.

Cecil screamed.  
"CARLOS! NO! CARLOS!"  
He ran faster, faster still, towards the collapsing building, as if he could beat the falling masonry and somehow stop it from hitting the ground, hitting anyone who might be on the ground. He passed Earl who was counting the scouts and checking they were unhurt.  
Earl caught him on the way past.  
"STAY OUT, GAS"  
Cecil pushed past and ran to the remains of the building as another set of explosions brought the rest of the walls down on top of the pile of rubble. Cecil fell to the ground, crying out uselessly. He felt a kick to his leg. He looked round at Earl.  
"FIND HIM"  
Cecil tried to calm his mind. His third eye was gone, in its place there was a silence, a darkness. Within the darkness he saw it. He saw the patch of fuzzy void that represented the stranger in town, the man who did not belong. Carlos. He got up, held his breath against the suffocating gas and clambered over the rubble until the void was beneath his feet.

Two scouts were waving at him from the cabin of a bulldozer whilst a third carried away the bound figure of the driver. They got out and retreated, choking and gagging from the dust and the gas cloud. Cecil cleared what he could of the rubble by hand, only using the bulldozer when he had to, for fear of causing an explosion. Earl watched from a safe distance until Cecil waved him away.

Carlos woke up coughing. He was finding it difficult to breathe, his chest was constricted. He wondered if there was a third possible lingering death for him, slow suffocation from a weight on his chest. The weight moved. The weight spoke. Carlos giggled and coughed again.  
"Carlos! are you okay?"  
"Mm dreaming, rock talking to me."  
Carlos woke up again, cool damp against his face. He was lucid enough to realise that rocks don't talk and probably don't lick therefore scientific observation suggested that this was not a rock. He opened his eyes to dim light and a bright face close to his.  
"Carlos! Welcome back."  
"Cecil. Mmm. You're _nice_. Talk to me."  
Cecil smiled, put down the cloth and wrapped his arm back around the scientist. He quietly and calmly told Carlos all about Valentine's Day as he fell asleep again.

Carlos woke up properly in a bed that felt strange but smelled familiar. He swung his legs out and sat up, stood up slowly, wobbled a little and sat down again. He remembered an explosion, crashing noises above him, darkness.  
He did not remember how he came to be in Cecil's bed, in Cecil's apartment, wearing what must be Cecil's pyjamas.  
Carlos carefully attempted to stand up again and this time managed to shuffle towards the door. The door opened as he reached for the handle.  
"Oh! you're up. You should probably not be, I asked Earl and he said you ought to lie down today and probably tomorrow too. He doesn't think you have a concussion or a head injury but you might need a little TLC for the shock."  
"I have to..."  
"You have to go back to bed. Here I will help you."  
"No! I'm going to..."  
Carlos retched and brought up a burning slurry of dust and soot that tasted of death.  
"Oh! Oh dear. Well I am glad you didn't do _that_ in bed. Thank goodness for hard flooring. I'll show you where the bathroom is, get in the shower. I'll clean that up and bring you some fresh pyjamas.

Carlos slept most of that day after texting Dave to ask if Rochelle liked her card. Cecil was attentive. When he left to do his show, Earl came over and gushed about Dilip the barman until they both listened in silence to Cecil's broadcast.  
"Why does he report like that?"  
"Something to do with station management. If he is too direct he gets... disciplined. So he tells stories and leaves it to the listeners to figure out what is really happening."  
"That's insane. Why can't he say _some company with this yellow logo just gassed a neighbourhood to drive people out then flattened all the buildings to make way for..._ uh for... what? What the fuck is going on here?"  
"If _some company_ can do that to a whole housing development, what do you think they could do to one radio host?"  
"Shit."  
Earl looked Carlos in the eye.  
"You know Cecil is my best friend, right?" Carlos nodded, meeting Earl's gaze. "He has a rough time, always has had. Things, shitty awful things, have been happening to him for his whole life and he can't even remember the worst things." Earl continued to hold Carlos's full attention. "If you are good for him then we will be friends. If you screw him over I _will_ kill you. Do you understand that?"  
Carlos nodded.

When Cecil returned from his show, Earl was gone and Carlos was watching TV on his own.  
"Cecil? Interesting show tonight."  
"You listened?"  
Cecil looked pleased, Carlos smiled.  
"Yes. Thank you for looking after me. And rescuing me, of course. I thought I was going to die, I just didn't know which exact wording would be recorded on my death certificate."  
"Hmm, how about _Died on a misguided attempt to find out the truth?"_  
Carlos smiled.  
"That is what scientists do. Try to find the truth, I mean. Look, I should go home. I am fine, really, a scientist usually is fine and there must be so much to do at the lab. I called Dave, he can collect me. He said there are some interesting weather effects coming our way, although meteorology isn't my thing, far too unpredictable, I mean chaos theory says that... oh!"  
Cecil smiled at Carlos's expression as he moved back from the light kiss he had just planted on the scientist's forehead. A car horn blared outside.  
"Meteorology? What's that?" asked Cecil as he helped Carlos to his feet and supported him with an arm around his waist that they both suspected was redundant.  
"Studying the weather, not like on your show, the atmosphere. Apparently we're going to get a real bad sandstorm."


	11. The stuff of nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earl and Carlos are caught out by the sandstorm. Cecil and Carlos have a communication problem and Cecil does not want to be alone but will Carlos take a hint?

Carlos took a few days to recover. He still went to work, but kept his hours easy and rested upstairs when he needed to. Dave and Rochelle fussed and called him an idiot, but that was normal and made him smile. Cecil texted him frequently. Carlos liked the feel of his phone vibrating once in his pocket, the anticipation of removing it to read, the slight rush when it was a message from Cecil and the irritation when it was not. The thrill of composing a reply and waiting to see if there was a response, the disappointment if there was none.

A few days became a week. Cecil looked forward to his text exchanges with Carlos but felt like he was bothering the scientist. Cecil would text, Carlos would usually reply, Cecil might text back and that was it. He asked for advice.  
"..so should I keep texting him or give him space? What do you think? Is he trying to tell me something...?"  
Earl wanted nothing more than to tell Cecil to shut the fuck up and stop obsessing about Carlos.  
"I don't know, Cecil, why don't you stop texting him and see how he reacts?"  
"Oh I could, or I could invite him out and see how he reacts to that? No, maybe not. I couldn't stand it if he said he was too busy or something. You know what I'm like."  
Earl did know what Cecil was like. He rolled his eyes, smiled at Dilip, punched his friend on the arm and said, "Go home, I have a barman to hit on." 

Cecil went home and did not text goodnight to Carlos. He did not text good morning the next day, or how-are-you-sciencing-today mid-morning, or any of the other excuses he used to check on Carlos throughout the day. He was feeling low by lunchtime and despondent by dinnertime when there had been no contact from the scientist. Cecil had sought more advice from Earl at lunchtime.  
 _I stopped texting and he has not noticed._  
 _Sorry to hear that, maybe he's an asshole._  
 _Earl! He is not and you know it._  
 _You deserve better._  
 _But what should I do?_  
 _Nothing. Wait it out. Get over it._  
Cecil was angry at that because he knew Earl was right.

Cecil was wrong. Carlos noticed the absence of text messages but did not seek a second opinion to support his own conclusion that Cecil had become tired of him and was not interested. He moped for a while but by lunchtime he was so engrossed with his work that, if put on the spot, he would have struggled to remember his own name. 

He pored over Dave's meteorological data. Atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, cloud albedo and a few other numbers had to be fed into the lab computer for processing. The computer would spew out an estimation of the arrival time, duration and severity of the expected sandstorm.  
"Hey, Dave?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I think we'd get a more accurate forecast if we had some extra data. Maybe make the cell volume smaller in critical areas."  
"Yeah, but who's going to volunteer for a data-logging field trip with that sandstorm brewing?"  
"I have nothing better to do. I'm bored with being indoors. I can phone in the data from the field and if there's anything nasty about to hit I can take cover."  
"Sure! Thanks! I'll amend the parameters in the simulation for your new cell size so it is ready for data when you have it. But take care, take a shelter. If you see a wall of sand, it means my prediction is out and you need to get under cover."

Earl rolled his eyes as he put his phone away.  
"When did I become a glowcloudbedamned agony aunt!"  
Dilip laughed.  
"Oh it's cute. I love that you give a shit. What's the latest?"  
Earl explained about Cecil's texting angst.  
"Is it possible that the asshole scientist is clueless about how to have a boyfriend?"  
"Huh? Possible. He is a bit strange."  
"I thought he was sweet, holding hands with Cecil under the table, I think it was a hand he was holding anyway, whilst you two argued a couple of weeks back."  
"Huh."

Earl watched as Carlos loaded the truck and drove away. He followed at a safe distance, always a few vehicles back, until they were well out of town and the traffic thinned. Then he hung back, keeping Carlos's truck within his vision but not so close that Carlos would see who was following him. Carlos eventually pulled off the road and parked. Earl drove a little further, parked and doubled back on foot. The sand wastes did not offer any cover so he wore his backpack and tried to make their meeting look accidental.

"Carlos, hi. I did not expect to see you out here."  
"Why not? You followed me from town."  
"How did you know?"  
"I saw you. I recognised your vehicle. I noticed how carefully you were driving. I am a scientist and a scientist is always observant."  
Earl gave up pretending. It was possible that if Cecil's skills did not work on the outsider than neither did his. Usually he only had to wish to be invisible to someone and they would overlook his presence.  
"I came to talk to you about Cecil."  
"Oh? But I am leaving him alone. Is that not what you wanted?"

"What?"  
"You threatened to kill me if I hurt him. I believe you would. I decided not to take the risk as I have a history of being bad at personal relationships."  
"Oh! That's what Dil said, sort of."  
"Dil?"  
"Dilip the barman. I think he is my boyfriend."  
"You _think?_ "  
"I respect his privacy. You should text Cecil."  
Carlos stared at Earl for a moment.  
"Since you are here, can you help me with some science?"

Earl and Carlos unloaded monitoring equipment from Carlos's truck and carried it from location to location. Every time Carlos had a complete set of measurements he called Dave to put them into his computer simulation. He used one of these times to call Cecil while Earl was busy relocating equipment. Cecil did not answer.  
 _Hi Cecil, it's Carlos. Sorry I got your voicemail. I, uh, wondered if you would… ohnevermind._  
Earl was back in earshot. He smiled at Carlos's embarrassment.  
"Did you text Cecil yet?"  
"No. I have so much science to do."  
Earl shook his head and turned away, walking towards the new measurement location. Carlos walked behind him, phone in hand.  
 _Cecil, sorry about the phone call. Would you like to know more about the sandstorm? Dave is making new predictions based on all the extra data I am collecting out in the sand wastes. Earl is helping..._  
 _... it is the slowest moving sandstorm ever. I have no idea why it is happening but I'm so excited to find out._

Cecil listened to the voicemail during a break at the station. He had deliberately not answered, not trusting that he could control his voice, knowing that there was a risk he would say the wrong thing, or in the wrong way. He sighed and listened again. It did not sound like a personal call. He played it to a couple of the interns who just shrugged at him. When the texts came in his heart sank further. Carlos was contacting him for non-personal reasons. Still, maybe they could chat about the sandstorm over a late dinner after his show and he might direct the discussion onto weekend plans.

 _I would love to hear about the sandstorm. You know I am very into science. Can you meet me after my show? We could go eat?_  
There was a long delay in the reply.  
 _Can you come to the lab?_  
 _Neat! Call me if anything happens with the storm. I like to report events as soon as possible._  
 _ok_  
Earl watched Carlos's expression settle into a distant smile. He leered.  
"Someone got a date?"  
"It's not a date. We will be discussing scientific matters that he can report in his show."

It was Earl who called Cecil about the sandstorm. He and Carlos were miles from their vehicles when they saw a wall of sand approaching from the direction of Desert Bluffs. Earl pitched his little two-person tent at a speed that impressed Carlos, set it low to the ground and pushed Carlos inside. Carlos called Dave to give him the last set of data and stayed on the phone to hear the new storm forecast. After a few minutes, Dave told him to run.

Earl watched and described the sandstorm's progress to Cecil until the first stinging grains hit his face, then zipped up the shelter and lay flat on his stomach, shoulder to shoulder with Carlos. Carlos handed him safety goggles and a facemask. They had about an hour before it would be dark.  
"Do you always carry a shelter?"  
"In the sand wastes, yes. A scout is always prepared. Do you always carry goggles and masks?"  
"Yes, and gloves but I was never a scout."  
"You don't say."  
"How long do you think the storm will last?"  
"You're the scientist."

They waited out the storm without speaking more than necessary. Earl did what every good scout knew to do and rested while he had the chance. Carlos lost himself in the contents of his own imagination, building worlds based on his scientific knowledge. He liked to daydream. He thought about Cecil, mulled over their recent experiences, analysing data and reaching conclusions.  
”Earl, how did Cecil get me out of that building? I had an air-pocket but all above was smothering gas and some of the masonry chunks were too big for one man to move.”  
”Oh? I don’t know.”  
”I think you do. A scout is honest, I know that much. There’s a vow.”  
Carlos looked round at Earl. It was getting dark and the roar of the sandstorm against the tent made conversation difficult. Earl sighed.  
”Cecil is stronger than he looks. For the moment, anyway. Why don’t you ask him about it later?”  
Carlos let it go for now and Earl went back to sleep as the sandstorm scoured their shelter.

Neither of them had the opportunity to listen to the start of Cecil’s show. Out in the sand wastes the storm passed and they emerged into a darkness made thick and dusty as the sky dropped its gritty texture. Their shelter was buried and Earl burrowed himself out before digging to reach Carlos and pulling him free. They sat and then stood waiting for their headaches to clear and minds to focus.  
”Funny how you never think about oxygen until there is insufficient.”  
Earl nodded at Carlos.  
”Come on, I can get us back to your truck. I will come back for the tent; it might be good practice for the scouts to do a search for it. I doubt you will be able to find your science equipment now.”  
Carlos followed Earl closely in the darkness as they trudged through fresh, soft sand that slipped under their soles. The road was under inches of treacherous sand that made driving difficult. Carlos dropped Earl at his vehicle and turned back towards town.  
As he slowly approached, skidding occasionally, he saw pairs of figures fighting, winning and losing, killing and dying. He stared as he passed people.  
”What the fuck!”  
Carlos sped up to get to the lab as quickly as he dared. He parked carelessly and dived in to find Dave and Rochelle studying video footage from one of the town’s cctv cameras. They both looked up.

”Thank goodness! Are you okay? Did you get into any, um, trouble out there in the storm?”  
”I’m fine, Ell, Earl had a tent and we sat out the sandstorm in shelter. What is going on here?”  
Rochelle waved him over and Dave pulled up another chair. The video re-started and Carlos watched as the sandstorm hit town, a pedestrian fell over and got up… twice. The man followed himself, spun himself around and struck his head repeatedly until there was only one left.  
”This has been happening all over town. There are fights everywhere. We were both out in it at the start, stupid enough to want to see the storm arrive, but we were okay, I think we got back indoors in time.  
"I wonder if Cecil knows what is going on."  
Carlos reached over and turned on the radio.  
"Where's Cecil? His show should be on now. Who is that?" 

Carlos listened. The new voice made him shiver but not in the nice way that Cecil's voice did. It was not a particularly unpleasant voice, it just made him aware that Cecil was not speaking.  
Rochelle grinned at him.  
"Were you particularly hoping to hear Cecil?"  
"Shut up."  
"Actually he called earlier, said he would come round if we were here late. I said not to bother..."  
"YOUWHAT?!"  
"Gotcha!"

By the time Rochelle stopped laughing at Carlos's expression, Cecil was back. He sounded upset. Carlos checked the street was clear of murderous couples and drove carefully through the sand-slick streets to the radio station. He saw Cecil walking away a few doors farther along the street and pulled up alongside.  
"Need a ride?"  
Cecil got in.  
"Thanks. Are you okay? No, um, unexpected sibling rivalry?"  
"No. Earl had a shelter we could use, that saved us both from the storm. I think we would have been sandblasted to the bone without it. I saw the cctv footage. Cecil, what happened?"  
"I have no idea. It was horrible, Carlos, I had no idea where I was and there was blood and... that... _man_ ...no, that ... _thing_... urgh. Cecil shuddered visibly. Where did he come from? I wanted to kill him. I've never wanted to kill anyone before. I might have said _I'll kill you for that_ in jest before but I never knew what it felt like actually to want to cause someone's extinction. I wanted him not to exist. Carlos, what does that make me?"  
"Human, you wanted to kill him but you did not. That's good, I think. Cecil, you okay?"  
Cecil stared ahead.

"I should take you home."  
"Yes. I wanted to take you out for food and talk about science."  
"That would have been nice."  
"I think everywhere is closed because of... the storm."  
"Mm-hmm."  
Carlos turned the truck around.  
"Where are you taking me?"  
"Back to my place above the lab. Are you hungry? Only I have... well. Wait and see." 

Cecil hissed, wide-eyed, delighted as Carlos produced two bowls of mac and cheese.  
"Ohglowingcloud... wheredidyou... nodon'ttellme... that is so _illegal!"_  
"Comfort food. My speciality. We get deliv... mmf!"  
Cecil removed his hand from Carlos's mouth. He traced out letters on the table with a finger.  
 _y o u r p l a c e i s b u g g e d_  
 _w h y_  
Cecil shrugged.  
 _t h e y l i s t e n t o u s a l l_

Cecil relaxed a little as he ate.  
"No hammering at the door so I think we got away with it. Maybe they are too busy tonight. Mmm, this is good. And all the better for being unexpected."  
Carlos smiled.  
"Earl saved your skin, literally, this time."  
"Yes. I would like to ask you some scientific questions, if you are up to it?"  
Cecil nodded.  
"How did you have the strength to get me out of that basement?"  
"Ah. I wondered when you would ask."

"WHATTHEFUCKCECIL!"  
Cecil put the sofa down carefully, complete with its cargo of one alarmed scientist.  
"I expect it is temporary, like the tentacles. I still miss those." He sighed. "They were so... useful."  
"They were very... uh... Can I examine your muscles?"  
"Sure, if you can find them. I don't work out."  
Cecil removed his shirt and flexed his arm. Carlos noted that he was right, he showed no sign of having ever been to a gym. He tried not to stare at the curve of Cecil's collarbone or the little dip at the top of his sternum or at the silvery patterns of old scarring here and there. He tried to ignore the toned but not overdeveloped muscles of Cecil's arms and back, sighed at the rosy lobed fresh skin on his lower back. He stared.  
"Carlos?"  
"Uh, sorry. Your musculoskeletal system looks normal. Can we go down to the lab? If you are tired I can drive you home and maybe we can do this another day."  
"I would rather be here. I doubt if I could sleep after what I saw today. I need company. Do you mind?" 

Carlos smiled quietly as Cecil gathered his shirt and bag then followed him downstairs to the lab. He carried out all the tests he was qualified to run, settling for a barrage of physical strength and endurance tests, stopping short of asking for blood samples and a biopsy.  
"So what did you find out?"  
"If you could fly I'd ask you to put on a red cape and blue tights."  
Cecil grinned.  
"You can't fly, can you? Only..."  
"No, as far as I can tell I am ground-based and I have no desire to try leaping off tall buildings to find out."  
Carlos laughed, yawned and closed his eyes for just a moment. He woke up with Cecil shaking his shoulder.  
"You should go to bed. I will go home." 

Carlos thought about what Cecil had said just an hour ago. He watched as Cecil put his shirt back on and looked for his bag. He wondered how he would feel if he had seen the same horror as Cecil, how would he feel about being on his own. He thought about how he had cared for Cecil when he needed it and how Cecil had looked after him. He remembered the unexpected goodbye kiss that still burned on his forehead.  
"You are welcome to stay."

Carlos made up a bed on the sofa for himself. He insisted that Cecil, as the guest, have the bedroom. Cecil put up token resistance only. Carlos provided him with a clean baggy teeshirt to sleep in and Cecil climbed into bed. He lay back, blinked and tried to sit up in terror as a creature with his features but glassy black eyes and a smile that promised evil, knelt on his chest, reached around his throat and squeezed. He woke up to the sound of a scream.  
"Cecil? Cecil? Wake up Cecil! Come on, wake up!"  
Cecil sat up, gasping for breath and clawing at his neck, frantically searching to left and right for the nightmare face that haunted his dream.  
"Cecil!"  
There was a hand gently on his clammy cheek and another around the back of his head, stroking through his damp hair.  
"Carlos?"  
"It's okay Cecil, It's okay. You're okay."

Cecil reached out with both arms and clung to Carlos. Carlos put his arms around the shaking form of his friend and held him securely, wrapped him the way his mother used to do for him so long ago. Carlos waited until Cecil's breathing calmed before relaxing his grip. Cecil let go and lay down again.  
"Thank you. Sorry about that. Thank you for not calling it _just a dream._ I was terrified."  
Carlos got into bed beside Cecil.  
"I think I should stay here in case it happens again."  
Carlos watched and listened as Cecil's breathing slowed and deepened. He half-sat up, watching Cecil's face for any sign that he was not asleep peacefully. He placed one hand on Cecil's shoulder, leaned over and gently kissed Cecil's forehead.  
"Goodnight Cecil."  
In the darkness, Cecil smiled.


	12. Putting Down Roots

Carlos half woke, aware that there was something different this morning. He lay on his stomach with his arms around his pillow, thinking about the feel of the mattress against his usual morning wake-up call. He thought about Cecil. He thought about kissing Cecil, stroking those surprisingly powerful muscles. Within a minute he was thinking about Cecil's hands on his body, touching and stroking and teasing until...  
"Carlos, are you awake?"  
Carlos curled around himself in embarrassment, partly because of his erection but since that was perfectly normal first thing in the morning his embarrassment was mainly because he had shared his bed with the focus of his recent fantasies, fallen asleep and forgotten he was there.  
"Almost."  
A coffee mug appeared on the cabinet next to Carlos.  
"I have to go. Thank you for looking after me again. Don't get up, you look.. uh... "  
"Go? uh okay." Carlos sat up and watched as Cecil got dressed. Cecil was halfway into his shirt and shook out his trousers before sliding into them. Somehow, thought Carlos, seeing messy-haired Cecil with his shirt off one shoulder and unfastened, cuffs loose and flapping as he slipped one leg then the other into his trousers, was way sexier than seeing him deliberately shirtless in the lab.  
Carlos heard the apartment door close then the lab door bang. He sipped his coffee and looked at his phone. He only had one urgent matter to attend to. He lay face down again with his arms around his pillow and groaned quietly into it as he ground against the sheet below him.

Cecil walked to the station to collect his car from the car park nearby. When Carlos picked him up the previous night and asked if he needed a ride, he almost said _no, my car is just there_ but seeing Carlos made him feel a little reckless. Carlos wanted to study him again, that was probably good he thought, but then he screwed it up by crying over a stupid nightmare. Carlos had looked after him, made him able to sleep for a few hours. Surely that was a good thing too? But Cecil was a scientist of sorts and mulled over his observations of Carlos's behaviour towards him.  
 _Yes, Cecil,_ he thought as he reached his car, never wondering where all the sand had disappeared to, _you are definitely friends._ For some reason he thought this might be bad.

By the time he reached home, showered and changed, there was a text from Carlos.  
 _Hi sorry you had to go. Wanted to make illegal breakfast & get Ell to take blood & muscle biopsy _  
_I don't know whether to laugh or fear for your safety. Don't joke about the wheat ban._  
 _ok sorry_  
 _I can come by the lab later if you like._  
 _ok there will be someone here all day_

Cecil did go to the lab later. He was disappointed that the "someone" was Rochelle and not Carlos.  
"Hold still, this will probably hurt and you'll have a bruise after. Just say if you've changed your mind."  
"No, I agreed to it yesterday. Rochelle..."  
"Hold still..."  
"Does Carlos FUCKMETHATHURT! Shit, what did you just do to me?"  
Rochelle plopped the little tissue sample into a sterile tube and shrugged.  
"Warned you. I have no idea what is happening in Carlos's dork-brain. I can't remember the last time he had a boyfriend."  
"I don't think.. I'm not his boyfriend. What are you grinning at?"

Cecil watched as Rochelle put a dressing over the puncture wound.  
”Where is Carlos today? I did want to see him.”  
”He has gone with Dave to investigate a young forest on the edge of town. Dave saw it, he said the trees are an unusual species that he has never seen before and have a phenomenal growth rate. They are setting up a live video link so that we can monitor the growth of some of the saplings in real time.”  
”Wow. That sounds… um...”  
Rochelle laughed.  
”Yeah, I was happy to be a stay-at-home scientist this morning.”  
”I should probably report it if there is a sudden arboreal manifestation. You never know who might be interested.”  
The computer next to Rochelle made a noise. She woke up the screen, waved at the webcam and pulled Cecil over into the frame.

”Hey sweetie! Get Carlos, look who’s here!”  
The computer speakers emitted a tinny laugh. Dave pulled out of the frame and Carlos appeared at the end of his arm.  
"Carlos? Tell Cecil about the trees."  
"What?"  
Carlos focused on a point just below eye-contact level as he looked at his screen. He flashed one quick look at the camera and smiled.  
"Cecil! This forest is fascinating. The trees are growing at an astounding rate. Look!"  
Carlos switched the camera view from the inbuilt webcam to one of the remotes. Cecil peered at the screen as a sapling waved a little as if in a breeze and suddenly spurted up several inches. The camera switched back to Carlos.  
"This is so scientifically interesting! I am not usually interested in trees but the way these are growing seems to defy physics and biochemistry. We plan to record the growth rate of a few of the trees continuously by video link. Dave has gone to take some clippings to bring back for study so that we might identify the species, or at least the genus. Dave? DAVE!"  
The screen pixellated then went blank before the application quit and the screen went to the lab's space-themed wallpaper. 

Rochelle's phone rang a few minutes later.  
"Dave! What happened?"  
"Oh! But you are both okay? Good."  
"Yeah, come back, as long as the cameras are in place there's no need to go back until the batteries run down."  
Cecil raised an eyebrow.  
"Dave said something weird about the trees screaming. They should be back soon. Can you wait? I'm sure Carlos would be happy to fill in any details you want about the trees, in case you wanted to put some dendrology in your show.  
Cecil asked Rochelle to pass on his apologies to Carlos and Dave. Although he would dearly love to stay and hear all about trees he had to go back to work.

Carlos and Dave spent a couple of days glued to the live feed form the forest, taking down measurements and plotting graphs, annotating a wall-chart with screenshots, to such an extent that Rochelle said it looked like a growth-chart on the wall of a household with many children and particularly proud parents. They had one tree covered by a night-vision camera and Carlos waited up, watching how the tree behaved in the dark. Rochelle found him in the morning, asleep with his face on the keyboard.

On the fourth day that Cecil had not heard anything from Carlos, he called Earl. Again. Earl rolled his eyes at Dilip across the bar.  
"Cecil, come out tonight and talk if you need to. Drink and forget. You know where I am."  
When Cecil arrived, Earl had his drink waiting for him. Cecil launched straight in.  
"Do you think he's interested in me at all? I mean _me_ me, not as a scientific specimen?"  
"I don't know. Dil told me about him holding your... thing. Under the table that time."  
Cecil frowned.  
"What? I'm sure I would have noticed... Oh! I see what you mean. Since I lost the tentacles he just doesn't seem as interested. He looked after me after the sandstorm when I had nightmares..."  
Earl made _stop_ and _rewind_ motions at Cecil.  
"Explain how the lovely scientist looked after you."  
"He collected me after my show because I sounded upset," Cecil dropped his voice to a whisper, "made me macncheese," Earl's eyebrows shot up. Cecil returned his voice to normal. "He did some tests on my strength then said I could stay over if I needed company. He came through from the sofa when my scream woke him up and held me until I calmed down then got into bed and slept beside me in case I had another nightmare. He wanted to make me _sshhhhh, toast_ for breakfast but I left, Oh he looked just adorable with his bed hair and his sleepy face and trying to hide his...um..."  
Earl put his face in both hands and shook his head slowly.  
"Cecil, you... Oh good glowcloud. The only thing more sickeningly sweet I could imagine would be if he waited until you were asleep then kissed you goodnight."  
"Actually..." 

Earl waved Dilip over.  
"Hey, Dil, can you take a break? I called my good friend an idiot and he wants a second opinion."  
Dil brought them more drinks and coffee for himself. He listened.  
"He made sure you were okay, made you eat, made you laugh, went to bed with you with no intention of going any further than a cuddle and only if you needed one, didn't take advantage of you in any way, and you're not sure he likes you?"  
"When you put it like that..."  
"I agree with Earl. You are an idiot. But at least I know that if things don't work out with this ruggedly handsome scoutmaster I can go after the gentleman scientist instead because he will definitely still be single if he's waiting for you to make a move."  
"Dil!"  
Dilip giggled and kissed Earl. He leaned over to Cecil and whispered.  
"Can you find out where he got the pasta? My supplier disappeared a month ago."

Cecil texted Carlos after his fourth margarita.  
 _good evening how are your trees?_  
 _Hi! I've been real busy with them. Wait..._  
Cecil received a picture message that showed the wall of the lab break area covered with the tree growth chart.  
 _That looks neat!_  
 _The forest is fascinating! The trees are almost full size and it has only been a few days. It should take decades to grow trees that big._  
 _useful for logging?_  
 _No, Dave tried to take a cutting from a few of the saplings and they screamed at him, said they sounded like frightened children. Freaked him out._  
 _did you find out anything from my muscle biopsy?_  
 _Not yet. Stop by the lab tomorrow and I will have some results by then._

Carlos went over to the whiteboard and wrote _biopsy_ in little letters at the top, above _check overnight growth videos_. He fetched the sample tube out of the fridge. He should have prepared the slides straight away, days ago. It was bad practice to leave a biological sample for too long. He cleaned and sterilised his work area and started. Making the slides didn't take long. There was plenty of tissue to use. He would have to ask Rochelle why she took so much.  
Cecil sent him a picture message with the caption _fifth margarita, join me?_  
Carlos texted back a polite refusal.  
 _too much science to do, maybe another time._  
He studied the muscle cells under the microscope and used his phone camera to take a picture down the eyepiece.  
 _Here is a picture of your muscle. It looks normal._  
 _Neat! Come to the bar._  
 _Hi, this is Earl. I am confiscating Cecil's phone until he sobers up. I'll take him home, I am less drunk._

Next morning, while Earl was clutching his head, Rochelle was scratching hers.  
"I used one of the smaller biopsy needles. There was a tiny plug of muscle tissue, just enough for a couple of slides."  
Carlos looked at the sample tube. He put one of his prepared slides under the microscope again and compared with the photo on his phone.  
"The cells are dividing more rapidly that normal. If this is also happening within his body then his muscles would be huge. But they are not, he looks normal."  
"Perhaps it is a response to trauma? The wound on his back healed very quickly."  
"Could be. I will ask him. But not now."  
Carlos told Rochelle about the drunken texts, and about how he had considered going out but only to take Cecil home and look after him, all night if necessary. Rochelle expressed the opinion that although she thought Cecil would be a really cute, happy drunkard, hangovers make everyone bad company.  
The lab door swished open and shut and Cecil breezed in, smiling at Carlos.  
"Can I see my muscles?"

Rochelle went "to make coffee or whatever" and Carlos sat Cecil beside the microscope. He showed Cecil how to focus and supervised closely as Cecil looked at his muscle cells, partly because of the fragility of the high power lens. He sat close beside Cecil and then leaned in, reaching around his shoulders to adjust the fine focus, his hand brushing over Cecil's. Rochelle watched from the break area as Cecil peered down the microscope, Carlos put an arm right around him and a hand on his hearest shoulder for balance. She snorted and added _watch "Ghost"_ to the lab whiteboard.  
"This is so neat! What did you find out?"  
"These cells are dividing rapidly but the ones still in your body are not. Rochelle suggested it might be some kind of accelerated healing mechanism. It would explain why your tentacle scars are fading quickly."  
Carlos sat down again as Cecil moved his eyes from the microscope.  
"Oh! I, um..." Cecil coloured a little and wouldn't look at Carlos.  
"What?"  
"You know I might have drunk a bit too much last night?"  
"A bit? You invited me to join you for your fifth margarita."  
"Urgh, I'm sorry. I lost count. I know Earl took my phone away eventually in case I did anything too impetuous. But I feel fine this morning. No hangover at all. Last time I had a bad hangover I wished... It must be a coincidence. Right? I mean wishing for something isn't enough to make it actually happen, is it?"  
"No," said Carlos, catching Cecil's eyes for just a second. "Wishing is not enough. Uh, scientifically speaking, wishes have no meaning."

Carlos's phone sang. It was Dave to say that the batteries should be changed in the cameras in the forest. Carlos invited Cecil along _for science_ and Cecil accepted _because I'm really into science_. They drove out to meet Dave at the forest. When they arrived, Dave had company.  
"Hello Richard! Are you interning at the lab too?"  
The young man looked nervous. It was too much of a coincidence that he had just handed Dave a USB memory stick with excerpts from Cecil's recent shows and Cecil turns up with _lovely Carlos, this station's favourite scientist._  
"No Mr Palmer, I only intern at the station but Dave said the lab needed a technician so my college professor recommended me to try out for a few days. I can totally still do my job at the radio station."  
"Oh that's okay, it's nice to see a young man with such a positive work ethic. Perhaps we can talk about science. I am really into science you know."  
Carlos handed Richard a bag of batteries.  
"You take these for the normal cameras. I'll do the night vision camera. Dave, you might as well go back to the lab now. I can drive the intern wherever he needs to be next."  
Dave nodded and left.

As it turned out, Intern Richard did not need to be driven anywhere.

Richard walked off to find the video cameras, swinging the bag of batteries and whistling, thinking how nice it would be to work outside sometimes, sometimes in the lab with the shiny glassware and the break area with a coffee machine that never asked for actual blood, and never in the radio station where the break room was stuffed with memorials and there was _that door_ leading to _that office_ and Cecil's very odd requests to deal with.  
Carlos asked Cecil to walk with him into the forest to find the night vision camera. He held out a hand but withdrew it when Cecil hesitated, turned and walked away.  
Cecil sat on the ground, angry with himself for not taking the offered hand straight away. Angry with Carlos for not giving him time to react. He worked himself into a mood that was shattered by the first shout of his name. He got up and ran.

 _Oh you look so nice today!_  
Cecil shook his head.  
 _Join us! We will love you more than the scientist does._  
Cecil put his fingers in his ears but the words went straight into his brain.  
 _You will be happy here, we love you, you will love us_  
There was Carlos. He had stopped shouting for Cecil. His eyes were closed and he was swaying slightly.  
 _You see, your scientist will soon be with us. Join us to be with him_  
"No! Nonononono...NO!"  
Cecil ran, overcoming the pulling, elastic resistance feeling between his feet and the ground. He shook Carlos. Carlos smiled dreamily.  
"Mmm, I love..."  
 _And we love..._  
Cecil picked Carlos up. It took effort because Carlos's feet were sunk below the mossy ground and clumps of soil came ripping up with his feet. Dirt scattered as Cecil ran back to the truck with his scientist. He propped Carlos up against the wheel and looked at his feet. He stared and prodded then took Carlos's phone put of his pocket. The scientist was sure to want photographic evidence of this.  
Carlos had grown roots.

Cecil decided that it was too dangerous to look for Intern Richard. Perhaps he would be happier as a tree rather than an intern. He bundled Carlos into the passenger seat and drove him back to the lab. Dave was there.  
"Lie him down here."  
Cecil laid Carlos on the break room table. Dave examined Carlos's baseball boots then cut off as much fabric as he could before easing the soles off. Carlos whimpered, Cecil held his hand and stroked his forehead.  
"I can take these growths off. The root vascular tissues don't appear to have any connection with the human parts of Carlos. I'd say he was being turned into a tree from the feet up.  
Cecil watched Carlos's face as Dave dealt with his feet and Rochelle monitored his heart rate and breathing.  
"Ok done, his feet will feel weird and bits might naturally fall off but he can at least get his shoes on if he needs to. He might find walking painful for a while."  
"Breathing and pulse normal."  
"So why is he still asleep?  
Rochelle and Dave shrugged at each other. 

Rochelle examined Cecil's feet. There were tiny rootlets in his shoes, they had ruined his socks but the skin of his feet was intact. Only a few circular scars showed where the roots had tried to form. Cecil carried Carlos to his apartment and laid him on the sofa. He chose a book from Carlos's collection, raised Carlos's legs so he could sit and settled down with Carlos's lower legs on his lap. Carlos slept.

By the time Carlos woke, Cecil was asleep and it was almost dark. He could feel Cecil's hand on his ankle but his feet were numb. Carlos flexed his ankles.  
"Oh you're awake!"  
Cecil opened his eyes and rubbed Carlos's ankle.  
"Mmm. That forest... I can't feel my feet."  
"Look at the pictures on your phone and you will find out why. I am afraid I will have to make an announcement about Intern Richard on my show. I suppose it's not all bad, I mean he's not actually dead and will probably feel like a loved, appreciated part of his new community. I have to go to work. When I get my phone back I will call to see how you are. Is it okay if I call you?"  
"Yes, any time."  
"I could come back and look after you if you need me to?"  
Carlos thought about the state of his sheets and his inability to walk far on legs that felt as if they ended at his ankles. He sighed.  
"No, that won't be necessary, thanks all the same."

Cecil left. Ten minutes later Dave arrived. He handed Carlos a USB memory stick.  
"I asked Richard to make this for you. There are some clips from Cecil's show that I think you might have missed. When you listen to them all one after the other... well, just listen."  
Dave passed Carlos his laptop and earphones.  
"By the way, Earl called the lab. Something about a scout ceremony he has invited you to attend."


	13. We could've had something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil loses something very precious.

Earl told Cecil all about his ceremony over drinks in a different bar from usual. Earl explained his request for a different watering-hole with as few words as he could manage.  
  
”Dil and I broke up. I don’t want to talk about it.”  
Cecil patted his shoulder and pushed a drink towards him. A couple of drinks loosened Earl.  
"He said I talk about you and Carlos too much."  
"He said I spend too much time being Scoutmaster."  
"He said the ceremony was stupid and refused to ask for a night off to come."  
Cecil patted Earl's shoulder again.  
"Hey Earl? I would like to be there and I would like to report this important event in my show."  
Earl looked up.  
"Oh, would you? That would be nice. I'm actually not quite sure what the ceremony involves. I have a week to find out and prepare." 

Cecil had been right about Carlos, he studied the photos of his feet with fascination, watched the video clips of Dave cutting away his favourite footwear along with the roots and the close ups of the soles of his feet with strange, circular marks where the roots had burst through his skin. He rubbed his feet, one then the other, feeling for the tough yet pliant remains of the tree root tissue. He couldn't lie around all day, there was science to do. Carlos walked with difficulty and a couple of false starts but soon got used to the numb feeling in his feet.

"Hi Carlos, should you be up?"  
"Hi Ell, I was bored. I feel okay so I'm fit to be here. I want to study those roots."  
"I'm on it already, got a head start. We thought it would be better if Dave and I took this project, in the interest of impartiality."  
"Oh?"  
"You will be too busy anyway."  
"Why?"  
"You have a visitor." 

Carlos's heart leapt and his stomach fluttered as he turned to face the break area. His face fell when he recognised his visitor as the owner of the bowling alley.  
  
"How can I help you? Teddy, isn't it?"  
The man stood to shake hands.  
"Yeah. I have this problem under lane five. I thought you scientists might be interested, might be able to fix it or at least give some advice before my regulars get too upset. Bad for business."  
Carlos listened to the maddest tale he had ever been told.  
"Well, we have a few projects to clear up here but we can get on it in a couple of weeks' time. Can you send me any cctv images? Meanwhile close off the lane if you're worried."  
Teddy left with a frown. Carlos returned to Ell.  
"Right, what have you got on those roots?" 

Between Cecil’s muscle biopsy sample, which was still trying to heal itself, and Carlos’s roots, the science team was busy for days. Feeling gradually returned to Carlos's feet and the remaining root tissue died and dropped off. He went back to the forest once, intending to look for Richard, but got as far as the first line of trees before noticing that frighteningly familiar tingle in his toes and running back to his car with his pulse racing in panic.

Earl had a lot to organise for the Eternal Scout ceremony. He had a list of important items to assemble, he needed to order an extra-large tent for the ceremony, find somewhere to put it and he spent extra time with the scouts helping them to learn the correct chants. He barely had time for anything, or anyone, else. 

Earl made time for Cecil. They met at their new regular bar. Earl talked about Dil, Cecil talked about Carlos.  
"Maybe you need to be more direct," suggested Earl.  
"You think staying over is not direct enough?"  
"Dunno, you used to stay over with me a lot and we were just friends."  
"That's normal if you're kids. We are adults. How many times have you slept at my place as an adult?"  
"Twice, when too drunk to go home?"  
"And never on _just a drink_ nights, right? You'd stay a while afterwards but then go home. What if I scare him off? I can't risk being too forward, if he sees us as having some kind of weird just-friendship with sleepovers."  
Earl frowned.  
"Cecil, there is one sure way to find out."  
Cecil's face lit up.  
"You are right! I will ask Rochelle to talk to him for me."  
Earl groaned. 

"So what really happened?"  
Earl groaned again but for a different reason.  
"It really was my fault and he really doesn't want to see me ever again. You know he's..."  
"Out of your league?"  
"Shut up. But yes, although not what I was going to say. I kept getting it wrong."  
"What?"  
"When we were together at his place or mine after his shift and he got undressed..."  
Cecil raised an eyebrow.  
"...I just couldn't stop thinking about someone else. I called him by the wrong name."  
Cecil paused, afraid to ask.  
"Who."  
"Sarah."

Earl ordered one more drink. Then another.  
"Y'know, Cecil? If it wasn't for Carlos I'd've never've noticed Dil."  
"Oh?"  
"We'd've been having _just a drink_ then going to your place and... y'know... stuff. I'd've only've been noticing you."  
"Earl..."  
"We could've had something. You an' me." 

Cecil took Earl home. By the time he put Earl to bed, laid him on his side with a pillow behind to stop him from rolling onto his back, he was asleep. Cecil stroked his cheek.  
"I do love you Earl, just not in quite the right way. When you finally meet someone who's right for you you'll know what I mean. Sweet dreams."  
But Earl's dreams were noisy with drums and screams as Cecil leaned over and kissed his temple before going home to his apartment, the place that felt more empty every night that he wished for something he did not have.

Carlos ran out of studies of his roots. The muscle biopsy samples finally gave up and shrivelled and he had nothing to do for an evening. He thought he might challenge Dave and Rochelle at bowling but they pre-empted him by letting him discover them kissing in the lab darkroom. Rochelle stared him down and he gave them the evening off.  
Carlos found himself in his apartment with no urgent science to do. He did not feel like reading. He brought out his laptop and his hand clasped around the USB drive that Richard had made for Dave. He put on headphones and listened. 

Three times. 

Carlos listened to Cecil's show, more so recently, but laughed off the _perfect Carlos_ comments. Earl said Cecil was just messing around, used to do it to him too. Carlos listened one more time, conflicted. What if Cecil was joking and rejected a hypothetical advance? What if Cecil was not joking and he didn't respond? Was Cecil wondering if he had a hidden motive for sharing his bed, comforting him through his terror?  
Carlos realised that he did have a hidden motive for sharing his bed with Cecil. And Cecil had made no move. What did that mean?  
The scientist did not enjoy being tormented by questions he could not answer with logical analysis of data. He went to bed with indecision to keep him from sleep.

Earl woke up unable to remember how he got home. There was a glass of water by his bed and some headache pills. Cecil's calling card. He was grateful for both. It was the day of the ceremony. Scout leaders were arriving later this afternoon to help out. The boys would have a rehearsal once everything was ready. He grabbed his phone.  
 _Thanks for seeing me home, hope I was not offensively drunk_  
 _Good morning! You were unconscious. Are you ok?_  
 _Yes, I don't remember a lot._  
 _Way of life here x_  
 _Sorry, ykwim. Come to ceremony later?_  
 _Can't, gotta do show. See you afterwards?"_  
 _Yes but coffee. No alcohol. Never again._

Carlos looked at his screen and frowned. It's not like he was ever a scout, but Cecil might be there and maybe Earl was just trying to make him feel like part of the community. He decided he would go to the ceremony later. In the meantime, in the absence of immediately urgent science, he had a lab to clean.

Earl called in on Cecil at the station on his way to the thick tent out back of the Ralph's.  
"Oh look at you! Full dress uniform, very smart." Cecil grinned at Earl. "Everything ready? I will relay the highlights of the ceremony during my show. Management won't let me out to do a live outside broadcast. Want me to keep you a recording?"  
"That's a nice idea. I can copy it for Barty's and Franky's parents. Thanks."  
"Are _you_ ready for this?"  
"Honestly? These boys are the first to reach the rank of Eternal Scout. I am equal parts proud and terrified for them. I mean, the blood-pact scout ceremony is frightening but this will be _intense."_  
Cecil punched Earl's arm and smiled at him.  
"Cecil, I meant it. We could have had something."  
With that, Earl turned away.

Carlos chose a clean lab coat and wondered if he should have sewn his old science club patches onto it. He was especially proud of his _Pseudoscience Debunking_ badge and the _Science With Everyday Objects_ badge but he kept them in a tin in his closet.  
He walked across town towards the Ralph's, past the radio station. He almost stopped and went in, anyone watching might have seen him stop, turn back for two steps, shake his head then resume his original direction.  
 _Later,_ he thought, _or tomorrow maybe, today is Earl's day._

Cecil watched as Carlos hesitated, willing him to come in, maybe sit with him while he broadcast, talk about science and about his impressions of his new community. Maybe during the weather he would lean over and...  
Cecil distracted himself by going to play with Khoshekh and the kittens until it was time to go to his booth. 

Earl watched attentive and smiling until his face ached as scouts and leaders and parents filled the thick tent. There was a new NVCR intern hovering around near the tent flap. Earl said hello and asked that all recording be done in a respectful manner from a suitable distance away, preferably with the microphone switched off or the intern outside the tent. The intern thought for a moment then wandered a few feet away and sat down on the tarmac to make a phone call.  
"Mr Harlan, sir, Mr Palmer says can I sit just outside and record the ceremony from here. He's listening in."  
Earl sighed and rolled his eyes. He leaned in to the microphone and said, "You hear me clearly, Palmer?"  
The intern made himself as comfortable as he could.

The ceremony started well. Carlos was a few minutes late and the tent flap would not open. The intern outside shrugged at him. Carlos was intrigued by the sounds emanating from the tent, chanting punctuated by occasional blood-curdling shrieks. He mouthed at the intern _is this normal?_ but the intern only shrugged again.

Carlos sat nearby. He would wait for a while, he decided, congratulate Earl and thank him for the kind invitation, apologise for being late and maybe suggest they both meet Cecil afterwards. He half-listened to the ceremony, half-daydreamed about Cecil.  
He was prepared for an hour or so of getting lost in his own thoughts.  
He was not prepared for the crowd of half-sized humanoid faceless figures that gripped him tightly and bundled him into the tent. 

"Tell _Mister Harlan sir_ that you are perfectly entitled to sit in a public place and record whatever you like," snapped Cecil. Jeez, sometimes new interns took some breaking in. "Show a little initiative."  
He felt guilty straight after and decided he ought to be nice to the new intern. It was not the intern's fault that he wasn't Richard or Dana. He heard Earl speaking to him and knew he was going to have to have an uncomfortable talk with his best friend later.  
Some time later, he smiled as he heard Carlos arrive late and speak kindly to the intern. 

Ten minutes after that, five humanoid figures watched as the weather played on loop and the Voice of Night Vale ran as fast as he could for the tent behind the Ralph's. 

Cecil saw the ceremony after all. He looked on in horror as the figures carried people away. Franky and Barty were beyond help, standing to eternal attention either side of a patch of void in the centre of the tent. Cecil watched as the humanoid figures crowd-surfed the immobile body of a woman from one to another above them until she reached the void, then bowed as she was sucked into that obscene gap in reality.

His head snapped round from side to side, searching. There! He caught a flash of white off to the side, moving closer to the centre with every moment he wasted. He jumped. Cecil clambered over the figures and shouted.  
"STOP. CARLOS! STOP. _STOP_ "  
The figures closest to him paused. He would have to get closer. Cecil pushed and barged and forced his way to the group carrying his scientist.  
" _STOP STOP STOP PUT HIM DOWN STOP NOW DOWN DOWN DOWN..._ "  
The figures holding Carlos dropped him and walked away for another victim. Cecil hoisted Carlos over his shoulder and pushed a path out of the tent. 

As Cecil turned in the entrance, looking back to see if they were being pursued, he saw a figure in khakis, with a sash so encrusted with badges that they layered over each other like dragon scales, disappear feet first into the sucking void. 

Cecil parked his feelings for later. He was a professional and he had a show to finish. He carried Carlos back to the station and told the desk intern not to let him out of her sight. He finished his show factually and calmly, picked up the unconscious scientist and drove home.

Cecil waited until he had put Carlos on his bed, made sure his breathing and pulse were at least present then retreated to the living room. He sat on the sofa and screamed into a cushion, shaking and sobbing until he was empty. He rocked silently perched on the edge of his seat, face hidden in the wet fabric.  
He felt a hand on his shoulder. An arm around his back.  
"Cecil, what happened?"  
Cecil lifted his head a little from the cushion.  
"Earl. Gone. Figures. Void."  
Carlos slid himself behind Cecil and held him with both arms. Cecil leaned in to the embrace. He lay there against Carlos then curled up and let Carlos stroke his hair while he tried out sentences in his head.  
"I saw you first. I got you out. Then I saw Earl but it was too late. Too late."  
Cecil shook his head, too exhausted to cry any more.  
"I couldn't save you both."

Carlos sat with Cecil as his emotions ran wild. The fear and horror abated to be replaced with regret and recriminations. Anger snapped at the heels of remorse. Cecil raged at Carlos just because he was there and Earl was not.  
"I had no choice. I had to get you as soon as I saw you."  
"How could I even see Earl, so many uniforms?"  
"It's all my fault, I could have stopped him. Should have stopped him If only I had..."  
"What even were those... those _things_?"  
Carlos knew it would come, he had experience of the grief of others, but it hurt all the same.  
"Why is it that you are here and he is not?"  
Cecil pushed Carlos away forcefully. Carlos pushed his hair back from his face and reached out to take Cecil's hand. Cecil stepped back.  
"I need to be on my own. Please go." 

Carlos turned and left. As he marched home biting his lip and fighting his own emotions he sent one text.  
 _I am so sorry about Earl._

He arrived at the lab and immediately wrote down every last thing he could remember about small humanoid figures and void. It was not much, but it gave him a starting point.  
Not everything that entered the void was lost forever and, reasoned Carlos, Earl was an excellent scout.


	14. Bowling Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos and the team go bowling and information gathering at the same time. Cecil saves Carlos's life twice in ways Carlos will never get to find out, but is not allowed to be there when it really matters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brought to you by insomnia.

Carlos decided to stay clear of Cecil for a few days. Let him work his own way through his grief, Cecil knew where to find him. Meanwhile he researched everything he could find out about the void. There had to be a way back for Earl, for Cecil's sake. There had to be some way of getting information into and out of the void. But it remained the case that pterodactyls had come out and the Scout Master had gone in and nothing else touched, or was touched by, the void. A few days became a week, then two. Eventually Carlos hit the end of the trail and his colleagues told him to let it go. The void would have to remain a mystery for now.

Cecil kept busy. He worked late at the radio station, came home, drank until he fell asleep, woke up late, showered and went back to work. After a few days he wanted to talk to someone, anyone, about Earl. He mostly talked to Khoshekh. People were too demanding, tried to cheer him up and expected him to smile to reward their effort.

He held himself together. He did not exactly get over it, losing his best friend like that, but it became more distant, as if it had happened to someone else and he was hearing the story or watching it on TV. He got used to Earl not being there, not replying to texts. He missed the casual messages they would exchange most days. He missed Earl's simple humour, the _saw this and thought of you_ snapchats with pictures of anatomically shaped vegetables or extremely loud shirts.

By the end of the second week after the ceremony, Cecil was almost ready to think about rejoining humanity. He texted Carlos.  
 _Sorry I was unfair with you_  
 _Scientifically understandable_  
Cecil threw his phone down. Why did the scientist always have to refer everything to science?

Cecil waited until he was calm then tried again.  
 _am I forgiven?_  
 _nothing to forgive_  
 _what are you working on?_  
 _I was researching the void but hit a dead end._  
 _Want to talk about it?_  
 _I could meet you in town later, I am almost at the library to see if they have any books about the void._  
 _Not safe! Wait outside until I get there._  
Cecil made a phone call. He had a favour he could call in.  
"Mayor Winchell? How would you like a show all about you?" 

Cecil found Carlos sitting on the steps outside the library building.  
"Hi, what could possibly be unsafe about a library?"  
"Have you been inside?"  
Carlos looked round and waved at the building's facade.  
"Oh, I guess not, what with there being a lack of unbarricaded doors. The opening hours are unpredictable. Coffee? We could come back later."  
"Okay. You okay?"  
"Not yet, but I expect I will be."  
They had coffee. Carlos explained his ideas about the void. It made Cecil feel a little better. Earl was a survivor, more than that, if anyone could find a way back out of the void it was the Scoutmaster.

The library did not reopen, as the mayor had agreed. Cecil was relieved, he was not up to the effort of battling librarians over Carlos's choice of reading material. Carlos was disappointed and said that he would come back another day. Cecil made him promise to call first and not go alone.  
"It's just a library, Cecil."  
"Remember street cleaning day?"  
Carlos nodded.  
"Okay, I will call you and you can come with me. Um, thanks I guess."  
"I have to go to work."  
"Me too. Uh..."  
Cecil waited as Carlos found some words.  
"Ell, Dave and I are going to carry out an investigation at Teddy Williams's place, the Desert Flower. There's a matter he wants us to look into. If you could meet us there we could make up a team, you and me against Dave and Ell? Not a date or anything, just... bowling."  
"I would like that, but I really do have to work. It's show night."

Cecil's show was filled with insane stories about the Mayor and former Intern Dana. The scientists listened as they bowled and discussed Lane Five.  
"But it could be either small or far away. It's too dark to tell and there is no reference point for perspective."  
"I know Ell, but Teddy won't let us drop anything down there to check. He and his cronies are afraid that anything we drop will be used as a weapon."  
Dave shrugged at Rochelle while Carlos took his turn. They were in lane six.  
"You are missing the obvious solution," said Carlos, picking up another bowling ball. "We must gather data by any reasonable means." He bowled it into lane five.  
"Oh clumsy me, so sorry. No, I'll get that!"  
Kicking off his shoes, Carlos slipped along lane five to get the errant sports equipment before it disappeared. He slid to the back of the lane and knocked a shiny white pin into the pit, watched it as it fell and landed below him. He came back whistling to himself and smiling to find out that Teddy was not a reasonable man.

"I want a closer look but Teddy has banned us from the arcade. His cronies have an armed guard around the place. This town is unreal!"  
Dave complained into his beer. Rochelle rolled her eyes.  
"The fact that this place is _unreal_ pays us. Not much," she nudged Carlos, "but we should still be grateful for the weirdness."  
"Ell, I am technically the boss but I earn only just enough more than you to pay for a night of bowling and pizza on payday. You want money or fame?"  
"No, I want to have fun."  
Carlos laughed.  
"You call this place fun? It's deranged!"  
Rochelle and Dave exchanged a look. Rochelle spoke up.  
"Carlos, stop pretending you don't love it here. I've never seen you fit in anywhere better." 

Carlos shrugged. He agreed with his colleagues, Night Vale suited him. There were so many strange occurrences that the locals accepted as normal, so many odd but regular events like sunset not being at quite the right time or more irregular happenings like that thing with Cecil's tentacles. If he hadn't kept notes and a photograph taken surreptitiously Carlos might have begun to doubt his memory. He still looked at that photograph from time to time.  
"So the phenomenon of lane five. What do we do?"  
Dave chewed pizza and swilled it down with beer.  
Carlos frowned.  
"One of the perks of being the boss is that I get to order you to do nothing. If the locals are sensitive about it, let me handle it tactfully."  
Rochelle almost choked.  
"Carlos, when is the last time you were described as tactful?" 

Carlos thought he should wait a couple of weeks and perhaps Teddy would forget having banned all scientists from his arcade. He hoped so, their bowling night was fun. Rochelle almost always won, Dave almost always got amusingly drunk and he liked doing something nice to say thank you for not running away screaming when weird things happen.  
He reflected on time and perception. He wasn't aware of the number of weeks that had flown past since that first day with the town meeting and the strange tasting corn muffins. Was it fifty already? Two more and they would have been here for a full year. They should celebrate somehow. He texted Cecil.

 _Although time isn't real, I find that the team and I have been in your town for almost a year._  
He read it back to himself and sent a follow up.  
 _It feels like home now._  
It still didn't seem quite right. He tried honesty.  
 _That was very unscientific. I have no idea how to say what I mean. I had beer._  
Cecil read it and smiled.  
 _Perhaps I understand anyway. Goodnight, Carlos, goodnight._

Cecil read the text exchange again the next morning. A year, a lot had happened in that year. It was also time for his annual visit to City Hall to check his prophecy for last minute changes to the small print. He booked an appointment for that afternoon.  
When he arrived, he was escorted as usual and left in a room with his prophecy tablet and accompanying parchment transcript. The wording had not changed, his task still involved keeping Carlos alive. But there was an extra paragraph.  
 _The Voice must understand loss. He thinks he does, but he does not. The Voice will lose everything but receive a greater reward._  
"Huh? I got that bit. You're out of date already, prophecy! Earl is gone. Did you warn him? Did you see that coming?"  
The tablet warmed and vibrated under his touch.  
"Please accept my humble apology. I did not intend to be rude."  
 _We are sorry for your loss, The Voice has yet more to lose._

Cecil packed away the tablet and the papers before returning the box and asking to be let out. He went to talk to the only creature guaranteed not to wander off, offer advice or interrupt.  
"Hello boy. Can I scratch your head? Of course I can sweetie..."  
Khoshekh purred and yawned, stretching both front paws out towards Cecil's shoulders.  
"Oh you're adorable! I would have liked good news today but things didn't work out that way. They generally don't."  
Khoshekh floated with a paw on Cecil's shoulder, his eyes barely open and his tongue sticking out, a tiny pink crescent between black lips.  
"Oh so sweet, good kitty. I think I need cheering up. I could organise a celebration for Carlos. Do you think he would like that?"  
Khoshekh continued to purr loudly. Cecil put his face just close enough for Khoshekh to perform a little nose-bump but stayed far enough away to avoid accidentally catching on anything venomous.  
"This place is dangerous. I think he deserves a trophy just for being still alive." 

He texted Carlos to make arrangements.  
 _Can you come on my next show for a few minutes? Talk about science?_  
 _I couldn't! All those people listening!_  
 _I can help you prepare something. Consider it?_  
 _What would I talk about?_  
Cecil smiled.  
 _We could discuss that over dinner? Tomorrow?_

Carlos cancelled the next afternoon. He left a breathy, excited voicemail, something about the Moon behaving oddly and having to be observed continuously in shifts.  
"Well, duh!" Cecil told Khoshekh. "You and I know the moon misbehaves when we are not looking at it. At least I do, perhaps you have not been outside. He is a scientist and I must accept that he is here for science and not for me. If he had no science to do he might not stay."  
That thought worried Cecil, that he would not have a chance with Carlos because he might run out of science. Khoshekh just stared at him lazily. He texted.  
 _That's okay about dinner, I understand, you are a scientist. Another time?_  
The reply came over an hour later.  
 _Come to the lab for coffee one day? We're snowed under. Mountains of work._  
Cecil snorted. Snow? Mountains? What a sense of humour.

Cecil waited a few days before turning up at the lab. He texted first but didn't really wonder about the lack of a reply. He knew Carlos was busy. When he reached the lab door and peered in, he saw Dave restraining a writhing, unkempt Carlos on the floor, face down in an arm lock, and Rochelle preparing a syringe. He burst in.  
"What the glowcloud are you doing to Carlos!"  
"Stay back, Cecil! He's dangerous!"  
Rochelle injected Carlos and he gradually stopped struggling and snarling and went limp. Dave let go, rubbing Carlos's shoulder where he had twisted it unnaturally.  
"Cecil, help me get him onto the bench."  
Rochelle and Cecil hoisted Carlos up onto the workbench. Dave rolled up his lab coat and put it carefully behind Carlos's head, a gesture that made Cecil at once grateful to Dave and jealous. Carlos looked peaceful. Cecil sighed.  
"Describe whatever bit him."  
"One of these. This one, in fact."  
Rochelle kicked the limp corpse. 

"Okay, there is a cure for a spiderwolf bite. It's a bit unusual."  
Dave sighed. He looked tired.  
"I'm all ears. We can't keep him sedated too long but when he starts to come round..."  
He looked away, Rochelle took his hand and squeezed each finger once. Cecil gathered them both into a quick, tight hug.  
"You need someone who is immune. You need some of their... umm... bodily fluids."  
"What, like blood?"  
"No, not that one."  
Rochelle went red. Cecil had never seen the brash scientist embarrassed before. Dave caught on a moment later.  
"Cecil, do you happen to know someone who is immune and would be willing to sacrifice a sufficient quantity of.. the relevant fluid?" 

Afterwards, after the jokes about STI standing for _sexually transmitted immunity_ and a _lot_ of questions from Dave, Cecil begged them never to tell Carlos how he got better.  
"There is no way I am ever mentioning this to Carlos," said Rochelle, "unless you two get married and ask me to be best man and I need speech material."  
"Me neither and I bet even then you wouldn't either," agreed Dave. "So does that mean that if you two had ever... you know... he would have been already immune to the pathogen in the bite?"  
Cecil stared him down.  
"That is rather a personal question, don't you think?"  
Rochelle giggled.  
"Sorry, I assumed you already had. Our Carlos is full of surprises." 

Carlos woke up in bed feeling groggy as if he had been drugged. He lay quietly, groaned a little, and when nobody came to see if he was okay he tried to get up. It was dark. He felt dizzy and nauseous so he lay down again.  
He woke up again a while later. This time it was light and someone came.  
"It lives!"  
"Urgh, Ell, what happened? There was this _animal_ and then pain and some freaky dreams and then I was here."  
"The spiderwolf bit you four days ago by the canyon as we were measuring the light intensity. It infected you with a virus that affected your brain. We sedated you so that you couldn't hurt yourself. Cecil called in yesterday morning by chance and he happens to have immunity to the pathogen so Dave made up a serum from a donation."  
"So I was saved by a blood donation?"  
Rochelle's face wore a well-practised poker expression.  
"Something like that. Don't try to get up yet. Remember you have not eaten for four days. There's soup, Cecil brought it. I'll bring you some. I think it might be chicken and lavender."

 _Thanks for the soup and the blood sample_  
 _Happy to help. Let me know if you need more._  
 _blood or soup?_  
 _it would give me pleasure to donate whatever you need_  
 _I would like to know how immunity to the parasite works_  
 _I don't know much of the science, ask Dave._  
 _Thank you again._  
 _Josie made the soup. I don't know how._

Carlos spent much of the rest of the day in bed, eating soup, dozing and reading. He wished Cecil would visit then got up to clean the apartment, embarrassed about the mess. He had been absorbed in various science projects even before the spiderwolf incident and the floor was strewn with dirty clothes. The apartment smelled bad too, an odour he traced to himself. No, he thought, best if Cecil doesn't visit today.  
He opened all the windows, bagged all the laundry, removed the sheets and got in the shower. It was bliss. He wandered out of the shower into the living room to find his glasses then back to the bedroom and searched for clean clothes. There was not much left. He settled for pyjama bottoms and went to investigate the kitchen.  
"Oh! Have you been there long?"  
Cecil was sitting on the sofa.  
"No. Ell gave me a key so that I could check on you without disturbing their work. I heard the shower so I waited here.  
"Oh. Sorry the place is a mess. Were you here when I..."  
"Would you like me to take your laundry? They will deliver it back later today."

Cecil struggled with the laundry bag.  
"Are you okay? That's heavy, it contains all of my clothes and linens. I thought you had extra strength?"  
"Temporary, unfortunately."  
"Oh? That's..."  
"What?"  
"Nothing. Thank you."  
 _... a relief? ...less threatening?_ For some reason he couldn't quite articulate, Carlos felt more comfortable with someone who couldn't overpower him.

A couple of days later, Carlos was absorbed in the science of spiderwolf anatomy and Cecil had a show and a celebration to prepare. He had texted Carlos to ask him again to go to the station during his show and Carlos said yes as long as he did not have to talk live on air.  
Cecil was buoyant at the thought of presenting Carlos with a trophy for living in Night Vale for a whole year, or rather for spending a whole year in Night Vale as an outsider and still being one of the living.

Cecil sat trembling in disbelief in his booth as news reports came in. Carlos had gone into the underground city. Carlos had been attacked. Carlos was... Carlos... No. It could not be true. He should go, it was his _job_ to be there, to stop this. But he could not. He was not fast or strong any more. All he had was his voice and he was useless, helpless. He sank out of his seat onto the floor, unable to form words clearly, reduced to sobs and dead air. Hopeless. Worthless.  
He thought about what his updated prophecy had said about having more to lose before he truly felt what loss was. He felt the weight of all those missed opportunities, all those times he could have, should have said something or done something but did not speak, did not act out of insecurity or complacency.  
He understood what he had lost.

He lay on the floor of the booth, waiting for the pre-recorded message he had played to end and not knowing how to continue but knowing that he must. An intern came in and shook him.  
"Mr Palmer, he's alive, the scientist isn't dead."  
"What? are you sure?"  
"Yes, is wasn't the scientist who got killed."  
 _"Tell me what happened. Now"_  
"The scientist got injured and in the confusion someone reported that he was dead. He's not. Someone else is dead instead."  
Cecil hugged the intern and got back on the air as his phone buzzed.  
 _Meet me. Arby's._

Cecil parked a couple of spaces away in the deserted car park. He got out of his car and held back with an effort.  
"What is it? What science emergency..."  
Carlos kept his eyes on the sky as the sun drifted down. He shifted on his car to make space. Cecil sat beside him.  
"Nothing."  
They sat for a moment.  
"I just wanted to see you."  
Cecil felt a touch, tentative as if asking permission. He leaned his weight on a hand slipped behind Carlos, arm almost toching his back and dropped his head onto Carlos's shoulder. He felt the brush of the hand on his knee grow firm, secure.  
They sat for as long as Night Vale time would allow before Cecil had to break the moment.

"I have to get back to my broadcast."


	15. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil gets his "third eye" back with a difference, plus a new power that almost kills.  
> Carlos makes an important decision and, thankfully, changes his mind.

Cecil finished his broadcast then drove back to the Arby's but Carlos was gone. He called but got diverted straight to voicemail. He hung up. Voicemail was completely inadequate for what he wanted to convey. He badly needed Carlos's presence, the beautiful smile that touched his eyes before it twitched his mouth. Cecil drove to the lab. From his car in the street outside, he could see Carlos lying on the bench with Dave and Rochelle fussing around him. It looked intimate, like a family event to which he was not invited. He felt like a voyeur. He went home. 

Cecil sat on his bed and thought about his friendship with Earl. They _liked_ each other. They were friends first and lovers by accident, by convenience. It was a pale kind of love compared with what he felt for Carlos. He closed his eyes and thought about the eventful day, falling asleep mostly dressed, dreaming about miniature warriors and blood and noise.

Cecil woke in the dark feeling different, as if buzzing slightly. He felt hyper-aware, wondered if he had overdone the caffeine recently. Perhaps he ought to cut back anyway, they said too much caffeine was bad for you. He got undressed and slipped into bed thinking of Carlos. He felt. He felt pain, confusion, fear, a sense of time slowing right down...  
He rocketed out of bed so fast he almost passed out. 

Sofa. He needed to be comfortable but upright for this. Cecil sat back and closed his eyes, reached out his thoughts over Night Vale. So many dark shapes, feelings hidden from him and one bright pinpoint where he used to find only void. He saw the man's fear, felt his pain and uncertainty and a thrill of something else. He watched as the brightness dimmed little by little and joined the darkness and Carlos fell asleep. 

Cecil spent the rest of the night trying to see.

Carlos woke when his phone insisted. He picked it up and groaned at pain from the wound he had forgotten about in his sleep. He turned off the alarm knowing that Rochelle and Dave would call on him if he was needed in the lab today. They knew he had something other than science to deal with when he was ready.  
His phone buzzed again. He reached for it carefully this time and read the message.  
 _Crazy busy boss, come downstairs if you are not actually bleeding._  
Science, he thought, was exactly what he needed now. 

Carlos healed, physically and mentally, over the next couple of weeks. Dave hadn't been exaggerating, they were kept busy to an extent that Carlos asked if the team could use more help and wrote a bid for funding for up to three lab assistants. He called Cecil only once.  
"Cecil? It's Carlos. I am not calling for personal reasons. It's science."  
"Carlos, it's good to hear your voice. I am very into science, you know that."  
"Um, yes. There's a hole that might appear in random walls in people's homes. Can you warn your listeners that it is very dangerous and they should not approach it?"  
"Of course Carlos. Anything for science. Do you want to..."  
"Sorry Cecil, I have to go. You know, uh, science. Goodbye."

Towards the end of the third week after the incident at the Desert Flower, Carlos told Rochelle what had happened after he had come round from being knocked out.  
”…and he went to finish his show. We know, we listened. Did you hear it?”  
”I was kinda busy that evening, Ell.”  
”Right. Yes. I think you need to hear it. Have you spoken much with Cecil since then?”  
”I called about the holes, but we’re both so busy…”  
”Carlos, I love you like my brother and you are just as much of an idiot.”  
”Do you think I should call him?”  
“Not yet, I’m going out. Wait until I get back.”

Rochelle called ahead and spoke to the desk intern. When she arrived at the station the intern handed her a plastic case.  
”A cassette? Wow! I have not seen one of these for years. You wouldn’t happen to have…”  
The intern grinned and handed Rochelle a Walkman.  
”Thanks. I owe you.”  
Rochelle returned to the lab, almost dragged Carlos upstairs to his apartment and handed him the cassette and player.  
”Listen to this and don’t come back to the lab until you have spoken to Cecil.”  
Carlos sat on the sofa and put on the headphones. 

It all came crashing back. The fear, the panic, the pain. Cecil’s reaction to news of his death made him screw his face up and stop his mouth with his fist. He would call. There was so much to say and so few words to use. He wanted to see Cecil but was afraid. He had so many imperfections ready to disappoint. Carlos listened again. He sent one text.  
 _I am not perfect._

Cecil read the text from Carlos before he read his memos from the desk intern. So Carlos had heard his show now. All he could do was wait for him to decide how to respond. Fear of losing Carlos kept him from going to the lab and shouting out his feelings, demanding a response.  
Cecil closed his eyes. He found Carlos quickly, he had practised in quiet hours at home, in snatched moments in line at the Ralph's, during slow meetings. He seemed to be upset, conflicted, but no longer confused. Cecil wondered, why did his third eye stop working? Why did it not work on Carlos before? Even the other scientists always showed up, weak beside locals but a definite presence. Only Carlos had been entirely void. Why did he show up brighter than everyone now?

The other skill Cecil discovered by accident one day in the studio. He almost killed an intern.  
After waking up with the strange, buzzy hyper-aware feeling, Cecil did cut down caffeine and found that although his head cleared a little the buzzing remained. He noticed eventually that the feeling intensified at seemingly random times. During one particularly strong attack he was concentrating on a difficult to word news item for his show when he was interrupted and introduced to a new intern. He stifled a complaint, faked a smile and offered to shake hands.  
Cecil watched in horror as a bright blue spark closed the gap between their hands and the new intern jerked in a series of muscle spasms then fell to the floor. 

Cecil went to help the intern up but stopped as he felt the buzz build up again. Others stepped in to make sure the intern was safe, blocking his path.  
”Is he okay? I have no idea what just happened!”  
”He got an electric shock. Look.”  
There was a branching burn pattern from the intern’s palm up the inside of his arm to his shoulder. On further examination, the burn traced its way down the intern’s body, missing his heart, to his right heel where there was a hole in his shoe allowing his sockless foot contact with the floor. When the intern came round he was sent home and displayed his new markings with pride.

Cecil needed scientific help with this. He couldn’t face asking Carlos; the perfect scientist seemed to be avoiding him. He tried being in the right place at the right time, the scientists’ favourite coffee place, their usual bar, Rico’s. But they were never where he looked. He went to the lab at different times of day and always saw the three scientists working hard whether it was early morning or late evening. Eventually he called the lab landline and Dave answered. He explained his problem and Dave handed him over to Rochelle.  
”She’s more interested in this kind of thing. I’m still working on that spiderwolf. Fascinating animal! Did you know that… Oh here she is…”  
”What’s up?”  
”Hi Rochelle, I need a scientist.”  
”I know, he’s around somewhere, Hang on…”  
”No! No no no, Ell, for science I mean. I have a slight electrical problem.”  
“That’s my area. Come to the lab?”  
”I can’t! I …just can’t. Can you meet me somewhere safe?”

Rochelle went to Grove park to meet Cecil, telling Carlos she was going to gather data on an unexplained electrical phenomenon. She found Cecil sitting in the picnic area. She opened with science.  
”Hi. Show me.”  
Cecil checked that nobody was too nearby and concentrated on the buzzing. He extended a hand towards the next bench. A pale blue jagged line arced across and left an oval burn mark on the wooden surface.  
”That is so cool! Can you do it again?”  
He could, but the spark took longer to coax out of Cecil’s hand and he had to move closer to the bench.  
”I think that’s all for now. Ell, what is this? Why can I do it?”  
”It is an electrical discharge. The breakdown potential of dry air is over thirteen thousand volts per centimetre so I estimate you were at a potential of… maybe two and a half megavolts. Wow! That is awesome. How high can you go? How far? How…?”  
”All I want to know is how to control it and use it safely and that you will not tell anyone about this.”

Rochelle promised then measured voltages and currents, traced electric field lines and equipotentials in the air around Cecil, asked him to concentrate for measured lengths of time and observed the maximum arc length and duration that resulted. She was impressed and envious. She sat back and watched as Cecil, having gained confidence with control, giggled as he made little crackles emanate from his fingertips.  
"Why have you not called Carlos?"  
"Oh, I'm sure he's busy."  
"Right. And the real reason?"  
Cecil sighed.  
"I need for him to make the decision to see me. It is up to him. He knows how I feel and where I am."  
Rochelle nodded.  
"He's not good at this stuff. Personal stuff."

After a break they started on more experiments. Rochelle had Cecil arc continuously until he was drained then asked how he felt.  
"Tired, soft, heavy."  
"Okay, reach out towards this and concentrate on charge."  
Rochelle held out the spare battery for her multimeter after checking its voltage. Cecil did as she asked.  
"Oh! That was... not enough. I'm still empty."  
Rochelle tested the battery again. It was drained.  
"Cool! Let's look for something bigger."  
After surreptitiously draining the battery of a black sedan and discharging the electricity with random, small sparks as they strolled through a group of hooded figures, Cecil attempted to charge up from a streetlight connected to the grid. He picked himself up off the ground, dusted off his suit and decided not to try that again.

Carlos had called Cecil once. He could do it again. He gripped his phone and rehearsed in his head what he wanted to say. _I can't do this, Cecil, I need to bury myself in science and work and not think. Not think about you, not have to try to be perfect, not love, not set myself up._  
He tapped the call button next to Cecil's name and picture in his contacts.  
"Cecil, It's Carlos."  
"Carlos, how are you?"  
"I am calling for personal reasons. Cecil?"  
"Carlos, we have both been so busy. I am sorry I have neglected you."  
Carlos paused, trying to interpret what he heard in Cecil's tone. He sounded sad, apprehensive. Carlos thought back to that night perched on his car, hand on Cecil's knee, the feel of leg muscles shifting under his fingers and the weight of Cecil's head on his shoulder. The smell of his hair and the warmth of his closeness.  
"Carlos? Are you still there?"  
"Uh, yes, sorry I was thinking. I do that. Cecil? Would you like to have dinner with me? A date?"  
Cecil opened his eyes and let his third eye recede.  
"Yes! Are you sure? Only I could have sworn..." _shut up idiot!_  
"Yes, why?"  
"Nothing. Tonight? Meet you in the Old Town, outside Gino's? Eight?"  
"Yes. But there's some kind of buzzing energy cloud approaching so be careful."

Cecil hung up and rubbed his eyes. He had been so sure Carlos was going to say something quite different. During his silence he had seen the bright pinpoint of emotion flicker and dance then settle into a calm glow. It was already six o'clock, he should get ready.  
Cecil arrived ten minutes early. Carlos was five minutes early. They linked arms awkwardly, missing the friendly intimacy they shared when pretending that there was nothing between them. Dinner was a disaster. The menu was exorbitant and neither of them could afford more than a mushroom starter, but they made a joke of it. Carlos began to relax. He remembered that Cecil had been so impressed that he flouted the wheat ban and seemed excited by his pen collection at the lab. He excused himself and went to find the waiter.

"Excuse me, but..."  
"Sir, oh you are with the Voice of Night Vale! Can you get me his autograph? Only I'm not allowed to ask."  
"What? Oh! I suppose I can do that, but can you do me a favour in exchange? It might sound a little unusual"  
"Yes, of course. Nothing too unusual I hope, I have limits..."  
"I want to pay for our mushrooms now then pretend to Cec... The Voice that we're skipping out without paying. It's a joke, you see? He loves that sort of thing."  
"I can do better than that sir, the windows on the far wall are being replaced tomorrow. You could break one and climb out."  
Carlos and the waiter grinned at each other. This was going to be good. The waiter accepted Carlos's payment for the meal and handed him a brick.

"I can't believe you made me do that! Carlos! I had no idea!"  
Cecil was delighted. They were in Grove Park, out of breath from running hand-in-hand away from the restaurant. Carlos grinned at him.  
"What would you like to do now?"  
"I don't know, it is so long since I went on a date. The last time I think I took the guy home and we did each other's homework. My history for his science, then his mom collected him because it was bath night. What would you like to do?"  
Cecil grinned, briefly allowing his mind to picture _bath night_.  
"You do science and I'll talk about history."  
Carlos examined a tree in Grove Park while Cecil chatted about Night Vale's past. He stopped as Carlos frowned at a growth on the side of the tree, reached over and stroked his cheek lightly. Carlos pretended not to notice but later he smiled when he thought about the simple action.

After a walk through the park, Carlos said he had to get back to work because the energy cloud was closing in. Cecil had noticed, people were being affected by it, being overcome by the buzzing cloud and randomly wandering in the street. He offered to drive Carlos back to the lab. When they arrived, Cecil offered to help.  
"A scientist is self-reliant."  
Carlos would kick himself over that later.  
"Oh."  
Carlos saw Cecil's eyes drop. He wanted to keep Cecil safe and the cloud was dangerous. He wanted to ask Cecil to come in and wait for him, but who knew how long it would take?  
He put a finger under Cecil's chin to lift his face, leaned over and kissed him once, lingering gently for a moment, then slipped out of the car into the lab.  
Rochelle gave him a slow handclap.  
"And just why would you let him drive away?" 

Cecil parked the car nearby and headed for the energy cloud. He guessed why he had been granted power over electricity. As Carlos and his team wrangled electrical equipment into their truck, Cecil calmly walked through town pulling the charge out of affected citizens and safely arcing it into the ground.  
As he walked he imagined everyone who had annoyed him. _ZAP! gotcha Station Management! ZAP! that's for you Steve! ZAP! Oh Steve again..._  
He reached the source of the energy on the edge of the town centre. Carlos and the team were already there. Dave was lying on the ground, still. Rochelle was shouting something he could not make out above the crackle of the cloud. Carlos had a machine of some kind strapped to his back and was pulling at a switch, aiming a long metal rod at the cloud.  
Cecil watched for a few seconds. Carlos was so brave, so perfect, with his hair going all whoosh and puffy as if it was all staticky.... OH SHIT NO!  
Cecil ran forwards, discharged until he was drained then reached an arm out towards the cloud. A thick arc crossed the air between them into his hand, another emerged from his other hand into the ground behind him. He held himself upright for as long as he could then fell, arms locked in position.  
He had no idea as he finally collapsed that he was yelling about how fantastic he felt. When he came round, Dave was groaning from the back of the truck, Carlos was out cold and Rochelle was watching him.

  
"So, Cecil, what do you do on a really wild night out in Night Vale?"

Cecil helped Rochelle to get Carlos and Dave home. He stayed until Carlos started to revive then left.  
"He didn't invite me to stay and I do not want him to know about tonight. Not until I am ready to tell him myself."  
Rochelle promised to say nothing about Cecil's involvement. She sat with him in the lab break area, made him coffee and asked, "what did it feel like?"  
Cecil thought for a moment.  
"It felt like I was the most alive being in the universe. I did not want it to stop." 

Cecil went home, settled in bed, closed his eyes and looked for the pinpoint that was Carlos. He was there, bright and steady, awake and so actively _thinking_. Cecil could tell, could sense the activity as Carlos analysed and evaluated and settled on a course of action. Cecil's phone buzzed.  
 _I had fun tonight. Sorry science got in the way of our date. Can I make it up to you tomorrow..._  
 _... technically later today? Come over after your show or I could meet you?"_  
Cecil grinned to himself as he felt Carlos's nervous impatience waiting for a reply.  
 _I would love to see you again soon. Meet me after my show, at the Moonlight?_  
 _ok, look forward to it. Goodnight x_  
 _Goodnight Carlos x_

Carlos lay awake thinking about Cecil, equally relieved and disappointed that Cecil had opted to meet in town instead of coming to his apartment. Too soon, perhaps. But meeting Cecil in town was convenient. Despite Cecil's warnings, he really didn't need a bodyguard to visit the library. 


	16. I needed a book so I went to the library.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos arranges to see Cecil again but kills time by going to the library.  
> Time is not the only thing to get killed.
> 
> Will a little horror and violence spoil their second date?  
> Is the promise of toast for breakfast enough to persuade Cecil to stay the night?

Cecil clearly couldn’t contain himself. He talked so much about Carlos and their date on his show that Station Management threatened him. Even so, he burbled happily with personal details that Carlos equally loved and hated to hear spoken out loud as he listened through earbuds and his mobile radio app. Carlos laughed at Cecil’s version of their escape from the restaurant and felt his stomach drop away from him as he listened to Cecil’s description of their first kiss. He sent Cecil a text just as his show was ending.  
 _See you v soon, have to get a book about the void first. Library late opening tonight, just going in now. x_

Cecil felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but was professional enough to wait until the red _On Air_ light dimmed before reading it. His intern heard an exclamation of, “Oh it’s from Carlos!” just before seeing Cecil grab his jacket off the back of the chair and run out of the studio.

Cecil arrived at the library. There was one door open, a side door marked _Staff Only_. He slipped into the musty gloom, fading into the charcoal shadows and listening for any sounds of movement.  
He waited for a full minute of silence, the only sound that of his own pulse rushing in his ears. Cecil moved with feline grace, following the perimeter from the exit to the inner door that led to the narrow staircase that wound up to the main hall and down to the stacks.  


Cecil stopped again and listened. Still nothing. Carlos would have started in the main library hall, he would go upstairs first. He climbed the stairs careful to make no noise, placing each foot down flat and slowly before transferring his weight, listening for the first hint of a creak that would reveal his existence.  
At the top of the stair, he peered around the doorway into the stillness of the main hall. There were dark wooden shelves reaching from the floor to the ceiling, crammed with books. Cecil ducked back behind the door and closed his eyes to search. Carlos was there. Carlos was a brittle shard of crystallised terror. 

Cecil’s mouth dried when he tried to swallow and he almost cried out. Almost. He concentrated. Carlos was alive and aware. He slowed his breathing and sneaked into the main hall. He could not detect the librarians, had no way of knowing how many were on duty on late opening night. With luck, he thought, there would only be two. He sidestepped slowly around the dark hall, keeping his back to the books.  


There! Suddenly he saw it, crouched on the floor clutching a hardback volume in its wrinkled, hirsute paw, nails yellowed and peeling like an uncared-for plastic dust-jacket. It leapt up, grasping at shelves, ungainly yet accurate in returning the tome to its rightful slot without disturbing the rest of the precious books. The librarian dropped to the floor with a slap like a wet rag hitting concrete and slunk away towards the returns quick-drop box. 

Cecil allowed himself the risk and the luxury of a deep breath in and out. Twice. He continued his patrol of the perimeter of the hall, eventually returning full circuit to the small door to the staff-only staircase through which he had entered. He listened for movement, heard none and stepped quickly to the cover of the first ring of freestanding bookshelves. He closed his eyes again and sensed Carlos. He was very close. Cecil guessed that Carlos was somewhere around the next circle of bookcases, possibly hiding and afraid to move, possibly cowering at the feet of a librarian.  
He remembered what Earl had taught him during his practise for the _Defence against Librarians_ badge. Don’t guess, search methodically every time. Know your enemy; know where your enemy is. Be where your enemy isn’t.  


Cecil silently completed this new, smaller circle without finding Carlos or the second librarian. He stepped to the inner circle of bookcases.  
Right into the path of a shuffling, snarling and, fortunately, quite myopic librarian.

Cecil jumped back and waited for the librarian to follow him. It did. He led it around the room to the security door near the main entrance. He would have one chance. He stretched an arm towards the electronic controls of the security door and concentrated. The librarian caught up with him and reached out both sets of yellow, flaking talons. It spoke, a horrible grating noise, struggling to form words.  
”It… is… closing… time… “  
The librarian’s talons brushed Cecil’s arm. A bright blue flash sent it flailing backwards, screeching, into the wall. It fell with the noise of meat hitting the butcher’s slab and lay still, blue-grey wisps emanating from its ears. Cecil ran.

The electrical crackle caught the attention of the other librarian. It loped over to see what the noise was, making soft shushing sounds as it approached. Cecil heard its scream as it found its colleague’s smoking, stinking remains. He used the creature’s own shreiks as cover to get to Carlos and drag him back to the stairwell. Cecil pushed Carlos through the door and hissed _go downstairs, hide._ Carlos vanished into the murky fog of the staff area.  


Cecil returned to face the second librarian. It was bigger, more agile and with better eyesight than its colleague. He ran, leading it through the maze until it started to tire and cut corners, banging into bookcases on the way past. Cecil took a sharp corner and the librarian overshot past him. Cecil turned and pushed the bookcase high up with all his normal strength. It toppled over. He watched in slowmo as the librarian cursed and succumbed to the unexpected application of gravity.

Cecil bounded downstairs into the stacks to find Carlos.  
”Carlos? Carlos? Where are you? I think it is safe.”  
”Cecil!”  
Carlos appeared from the end of one of the caged bookcases.  
”That book growled at me! This is not like libraries I have visited before.”  
Cecil reached for Carlos’s hand to lead him out of the stacks. He froze and stared behind Carlos. Looming up out of the dusty air was a third librarian.  
”RUN!” 

They ran. Hand in hand out of the stacks. In panic they missed the stair they had come down and found themselves in a dingy room with two faded armchairs and a plastic-cup coffee machine with a curling _Out of order_ sign taped over the dispenser. Cecil pushed the door closed behind them as Carlos wrestled one of the heavy chairs in front of it.  
”What the fuck, Cecil?”  
Cecil put a finger over Carlos’s lips and he nodded that he understood. He took out his phone and checked it was on silent. Cecil mouthed _oh_ and nodded before finding his phone which was still on silent after his show. They sat on the floor, facing each other.

_What were those things?_  
 _Librarians, they can get nasty._  
 _Thanks for rescuing me again._  
 _You’re welcome. I’d offer you coffee but the machine is not working._  
 _Funny. How long do we have to stay here?_  
 _Until it gets bored and goes away then we can escape._  
 _Cowering in a library break-room really is not the second date I had in mind._  
 _Oh? What did you want to do?_  
 _Coffee or wine then find an excuse to invite you back to the lab._  
 _What excuse were you going to use?_  
 _I had not thought of one yet. I went to the library and got distracted._

Carlos looked up. He saw that Cecil was watching him. He leaned in slowly and kissed his rescuer. This time there was no surprise, no nervousness. Cecil kissed him back with eyes closed and soft lips parted, fingers wound into his hair, overcome with the additional input from his third eye. He felt the other man’s desire, his lust, his remaining fear, but there was something glowing behind the sharp immediacy of the surface emotion, something of which he might not yet be aware. _Carlos loved him!_

With more restraint than he had ever shown in his life, Cecil pulled away. He motioned to Carlos to help move the chair from the door. Slowly and quietly, Cecil first listened from behind the door then opened it a crack and listened again. He heard nothing above the mains hum that he was almost constantly conscious of these days. He felt Carlos’s hand slip into his and squeeze gently once. He opened the door fully and led Carlos out into the stacks.

They crept slowly and silently through the basement until they reached the stair, stopping to listen before ascending to the safety of the street outside.  
Once outside, they walked away rapidly until the library building was out of sight. Cecil took Carlos’s arm and pulled him to a halt.  
”I’d like that.”  
”I did not say anything.”  
Cecil almost laughed at Carlos’s confusion.  
”I hope you were going to.”  
”What? Going to what?”  
”Find an excuse to invite me back to your place. Whatever it was going to be, I’d say yes.” 

Carlos thought for a moment.  
”Cecil, it’s late.”  
”Oh. I guess it is.”  
Carlos frowned, wondering why Cecil looked sad again.  
”Uh, I mean to imply that if you are coming back to my place you’d need... I have observed that you are quite careful about your appearance and… ”  
Cecil smiled.  
”Carlos, are you inviting me to stay for breakfast?”  
Carlos leaned in close and whispered.  
”I’ll make toast if you like.”  
 _”Carlos! Hush! That’s illegal!”_

Carlos giggled at Cecil's raised breathing and dilated pupils.  
"I think I have found a suitably scientific excuse to take you to the lab."  
"Oh?"  
"I want to measure your physical reactions when I suggest doing illegal things. My preliminary observations suggest that..."  
"Okay! Hush, let's go."  
Carlos drove them back to the lab via the store where he chose a bottle of wine that was slightly more expensive than he usually bought. He let Cecil into the lab, locking up behind him and rummaged in cupboards until he found his heart rate monitor.  
"Okay, let's go upstairs to do science and drink wine."  
He knew where he was going but Cecil let Carlos lead the way.

Half a bottle of wine each later, Cecil lay on the sofa wearing the heart rate sensor under an unfastened shirt and giggling as Carlos fiddled with the monitor.  
"Got it! That's recording now. Are you feeling relaxed?"  
"Yes. More wine would make me more relaxed."  
"There is none left and I want you relaxed but not asleep."  
Cecil sighed.  
"Fine."  
"I am going to suggest things to you and the sensor will relay your heart rate to the monitor."  
"Ready."  
Carlos lowered his voice and spoke close to Cecil's ear. The heart rate monitor beeped faster as Cecil put his arm around Carlos, pulled him on top of himself on the sofa and kissed him. Cecil made a suggestion of his own. Carlos got up, helped Cecil up and led him to the bedroom. 

Dave started early next day. He booted up his computer, made coffee, went back to check on the status of his monitoring experiments and noticed a new file _HRM0002._ Odd, there had only been one file, the one he had recorded when testing out the device. He clicked the new file.  
"Huh, someone had a workout."  
He scrolled across the heart-rate graph.  
"Or two."  
Dave shrugged and deleted the file. Must be a glitch, he would ask Rochelle to look into it later. Meanwhile there was an infestation to investigate. He left a note for the others, packed an entomology kit and left.

Cecil stirred earlier than usual, wrapped around his scientist and feeling warm and fuzzy, happy in this moment between sleep and wake. He shifted just a little and snuggled in closer, not opening his eyes, not wanting to end this moment. Carlos was not as strongly evident in his third eye, but he was asleep and _right here._  
Carlos stretched and then hugged Cecil, kissed him on the cheek and slipped out of bed. Cecil heard him clattering around the tiny apartment, heard a coffee machine and smelled...  
 _Oh good glowcloud he wasn't joking!_  


Cecil got up, searched for his shorts, borrowed the tee shirt Carlos had left on the floor in his haste to lose it several hours earlier and went to investigate the glorious smell of slightly charring wheat products.  
"Good morning Cecil, a scientist is bound to be truthful. It's brioche, a little stale so I toasted it. Butter, jam or both?"  
Cecil answered with a hug and a kiss, and maybe a little grind that could be taken as accidental. Carlos closed his eyes and smiled. He turned off the grill.  
"A scientist is also able to respond to, ah, _changing circumstances"_  
Carlos led Cecil to the bathroom and put him in the shower, still wearing shorts and tee. He dropped his robe and got in too.

They stood under the inadequate water jet over the bath, more of a gentle trickle, kissing and trying to remove Cecil's shorts and tee without breaking apart. They had a giggly, soapy shower where Cecil asked to wash Carlos's hair for him and he obliged, kneeling down so that Cecil could reach more easily. When Cecil had almost finished, Carlos stroked slowly up the backs of Cecil's legs from ankles to knee to thigh, ending by cupping Cecil's ass in both hands. He kissed the top of Cecil's hipbone and looked up at his face, as Cecil looked down, expression filled with _want_ and _need_ and _yes._  
Carlos smiled and kissed along the crest of Cecil's hipbone on one side and then the other. He licked and gently nuzzled a trail from navel to the base of Cecil's cock, tongued up its length and sucked the tip into his mouth. Cecil whimpered. Carlos felt Cecil weave long fingers through his hair and grip.  
 _Shit that feels good, did I tell him I like that? Oh, oh yes. Fuck, harder._  
Cecil clenched his fist, making Carlos gasp in excitement and pleasure at the slight pain. Carlos took Cecil into his mouth again, using his hand on the shaft and his tongue and lips on the head, exploring and probing with slick soapy fingers, listening to the hiss of the shower and the beautiful noises coming from Cecil.  


It couldn't last. Cecil came hard with two of Carlos's fingers twitching in his entrance and his cock in Carlos's mouth, pulling hair and trying to hold himself back. Carlos rinsed his mouth and laughed. Cecil sank to his knees and held Carlos tightly.  
"What?"  
"I was thinking. Last night and this morning, you just seemed to know what I wanted. I didn't have to say, to ask. You just _knew._ Whatever I fantasised about your hands, your mouth, you did it. And your voice, especially when... well. I would like to investigate that in detail."  
Cecil giggled.  
"I am having a wonderful time too, Carlos. Do you have to go to work or can we stay here all day? I have a few investigations of my own I want to conduct. I am _very_ into science these days."

They agreed that Carlos would go to work, leave early and go to Cecil's apartment for _dinner and a movie._  
They both knew exactly what that would involve. 


	17. When can I see you again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why is everyone ignoring Cecil?  
> Not that it's a bad thing when he needs to influence the SSP.
> 
> Some filth. Just because.

Cecil accepted a ride back to his car and he went home to change before heading back in to the station with a smile that nothing could dent. He did not have to go to work today but the choice between thinking about Carlos and talking about Carlos to everyone he met was an easy one.  
For entertainment, he made his fingers crackle and spark it got increasingly more difficult until he could not sustain any charge beyond the unexpected normal jolt from a door-handle on a dry day. He sighed but was a little relieved. He had come close to accidentally shocking Carlos a couple of times when his concentration slipped and he felt a buzz of charge building up last night. Or maybe that was something else, he was not quite sure. He wondered what Carlos was doing, wondered if texting would be interpreted as insanely needy and looked at his phone.  
 _If minutes are accurate today then there are 364 of them until I see you again x_  
 _That's too many! Can you get out for a break before then? xox_  
 _There is some degree of probability that I can. Grove park is approximately halfway between us._  
They agreed a time and both went back to work preoccupied with thoughts of warm shade and warm touch under the trees.

Carlos took the heart rate monitor back to the lab. Dave watched him put it away. He dragged the unexpected HRM file back out of the trash and opened it.  
"Morning Carlos, you look surprisingly happy for a perfectionist who is late for work."  
Carlos's smile intensified.  
"Oh?"  
"Can you explain this file that appeared on my computer overnight? It's an HRM file, timestamped... let me see..."  
"Oh!"  
Carlos's smile melted into embarrassment. Dave laughed.  
"So which of you wore the sensor?"

Dave left it at that but Rochelle wanted as many details as Carlos was willing to divulge, which right now was an uncharacteristically detailed account by Carlos's personal standards. Science he could talk about for hours, his love life he would usually rather not discuss at all.  
"Come on, Carlos, we have the scientific data right here. Did you not know the monitor linked to the lab computer?"  
"I did, but not that it did so by default. It does provide interesting data for _me_ to analyse. Dave, have you deleted your copy?"  
Dave nodded, still smiling. He liked Carlos to be in a good mood. Rochelle attacked again.  
"So, what happened last night?"  
Carlos shrugged and smiled.  
"I went to the library. Cecil met me there. I invited him back here. That is all I will say."  
"Caar-looos! Oh you're impossible. If we're getting lab assistants, find me one that likes to gossip."

Carlos opened the heart rate monitor file and studied the graph of Cecil's heart rate against time. The peaks he expected to see around midnight and again just under an hour later were there and a low, steady plateau indicating rest from about one-thirty. He scrolled through, wondering at the small but significant elevation in Cecil's heart rate between three and six that morning. It looked like Cecil had been active for three hours when Carlos knew he had been asleep in his arms. Carlos had not slept well, but he did not mind.

Cecil was in the park right on time by his watch. Carlos was already there. He watched as Carlos took samples from one of the trees, carefully bagging and labelling each sample before storing it in his bag. Carlos was smiling and humming to himself.  
He turned eventually to see Cecil watching. His smile grew wider.  
"Oh, hi, have you been there long?"  
"No, just a few minutes. You look happy when you do science."  
"I like the routine, the predictable nature of science. I know if something comes out wrong then the science, as I understand it, needs adjusted. Everything has to happen as it should. Even here, although I don't always understand it. Trying to understand, collecting puzzle pieces to fit together to see the picture. I guess that makes me happy. Do you want to help?"  
Cecil's eyes widened as he saw Carlos hold out a sample bag and a sharpie.

They worked together for another ten minutes, Carlos bagging samples and telling Cecil what to write on the labels. Cecil tried to hide the pen and "lost" it when Carlos said he was finished. Carlos smiled and leaned over to whisper.  
"That's okay, I have a whole pack back at the lab."  
"Carlosss! You'll get into trouble!"  
"No I won't. Walk with me?"  
They linked hands and walked under the shade of the trees. Carlos talked about the relative merits of different types of writing implement for labelling different samples, while Cecil told him _shush!_ and _you'll get caught!_ and _but that's so illegal!_  
Carlos stopped, turned to face Cecil.  
"The best all-round writing implement really is a sh... mmhmm"  
Cecil slid both hands into Carlos's hair, pulled him close and kissed him. He pulled away.  
"Please don't get caught. I couldn't stand to lose you so soon."

Carlos frowned. Cecil looked upset, agitated. Carlos held him close and kissed him in return.  
"I did not mean to cause you any concern. Is it so serious?"  
"Remember my warnings about street cleaning? The library? Please, do nothing that would attract the attention of the Sheriff's Secret Police. There's an abandoned mineshaft they use... urgh."  
Cecil visibly shuddered. Carlos could feel it but for just a second he blinked and Cecil wasn't there. Just for an instant.  
"Uh, Cecil? Um, did you... flicker?"  
"What? I don't know what you mean. Promise to stay away from certain topics of conversation? Please, Carlos?"  
"Okay, I will. I have to go back to the lab soon. You know, science."  
Carlos stroked Cecil's face, kissed him gently and slowly retrieved his favourite sharpie from Cecil's pocket.  
"I have a permit for this. I promise I will stay as safe as a scientist can."  
They parted with difficulty and many backward glances and headed back to work in opposite directions.

Cecil spent the rest of the afternoon composing and recording material for his show and avoiding Station Management. He was quite amused when an intern came to look for him in his studio, stared through him and left looking confused. The intern returned carrying a memo slip and put it on the desk. Cecil frowned and spoke.  
"Not even a hello?"  
The intern yelped and looked round.  
"Mr Palmer! I could have sworn the room was empty a second ago. I don't know why I didn't see you. Um, message for you from someone called _Dave from the lab_ "  
Cecil picked up the memo slip and read it. The intern confirmed what it said. He called the lab immediately. 

"Dave? It's Cecil. What happened?"  
"Cecil? Can you do something? They took Carlos away!" 

Cecil went straight to the lab. Dave and Rochelle were beyond worry, passed into that calm sense of inevitability that descends when one passes through panic and out the other side. The room was a mess.  
"What happened. Tell me everything."  
"Carlos was almost at the lab door. He took out his pen and notebook. Two people grabbed him, held something over his mouth, bundled him into a car and drove away. Six more came in and searched his apartment and the lab. They took away his pasta stash and all our pens, and we have a permit for those!"  
"What colour car? Black sedan?"  
"No, it was blue, definitely blue."  
Cecil sighed.  
"Sheriff's Secret Police. I warned him."

Cecil went to the police station. He hated it there although he was not aware of ever having had to spend time on the wrong side of the thick steel bars. He was nervous, wanted to shrink into the background. Police officers scared him, with their uniforms and their weapons and their careful attention to just following orders. He imagined the terror of everyone stopping what they were doing, turning to see him and pointing, yelling _Got you at last, Palmer!_ He'd be down the abandoned mineshaft before you could say _but it was only a slice of brioche, officer!_  
He walked in to the station behind an officer who was escorting a citizen who was not quite passive enough for the officer's liking. Cecil jumped back as the man was persuaded into cooperation. Eventually he stood a few steps from the main desk. They ignored him.

Perhaps it was a trick, he thought. Keep him waiting to reinforce the opinion that he didn't matter.  
"Excuse me, officer?"  
The desk jockey looked around, puzzled for a second of two, then went back to their sudoku.  
 _"Officer, listen to me."_  
The Voice worked well on those trained to follow orders. The officer looked attentive, listening carefully to a patch of slightly shimmering air a few feet in front.  
 _"Tell me where Carlos the Scientist is."_  
The officer looked around, shuffled some papers, tapped at the computer.  
"Mineshaft for reeducation, scheduled today, level minus five cell six."  
 _"Delete that record immediately. The SSP must have no record of Carlos the Scientist."_  
The officer looked at the blank computer screen then watched in confusion as the door banged and nobody passed through.

Cecil drove to the secret location of the abandoned mine. He was terrified. It was risky, he was the Voice of Night Vale but that might not be enough to keep him from harm. He should try to encounter as few guards as possible. He parked outside the compound, ducked under the striped security barrier without pressing the button for a ticket and walked to the main entrance. Nobody looked twice in his direction.  
In the reception area, two officers with firearms stood either side of the inner door.  
 _"Level minus five, cell six, there is a mistake, bring the prisoner out."_  
The officers looked at each other. Cecil repeated his command, deepening his voice and slowing it down a little. The taller officer shrugged at the thinner one and disappeared through the low door.  
Half an hour later, he returned with a dishevelled, dopey-looking scientist. Cecil took Carlos by the arm and led him out into daylight. He did not speak until he had led Carlos all the way back to his car.  
"Carlos! I warned you. Why do you not listen? I was so worried, I know the kind of thing that goes on in there."  
"Cecil is that you? I can't see you. I can hear you but I can't see you. It is so good to hear your voice, Cecil..."  
"Oh no! Carlos, what did they do to you? Are you blind? Did they hurt you?"  
"No, Cecil my eyes are fine. I can see the sand and your car and the sky and the road. But I am sorry that I can't see _you_ "

Cecil put his arms around the confused scientist, held him and kissed him. Carlos was shaking slightly.  
"You know I'm here, right?"  
"Mmm yes. Can we get away from here? Can you drive while you are like this? I don't think I am in any condition to drive after what happened."  
Cecil held the passenger door open for Carlos then got in the driving seat. As he drove them back, Carlos giggled at the sight of the car apparently driving itself.  
"This is so scientifically interesting. And utterly _deranged_! I have no idea whether I have some kind of visual disturbance or if I have an invisible boyfriend. I need to study this in a _lot_ of detail."  
Cecil was glad Carlos couldn't see the gymnastic routine his facial muscles performed at his casual use of the word _boyfriend_.  
"But I am real, it's just that you can't see me. If I am really invisible it would explain how I got into and, more importantly, out of the police station so easily. You are sure I am real? I think I am, I can see myself just fine. Am I definitely your _invisible_ boyfriend, not your _imaginary_ boyfriend?"  
Carlos laughed, reached over and clasped Cecil's knee.

They went to the lab where Rochelle and Dave were still tidying up after the search. They stopped and led Carlos to the break area, one arm each, and made him sit.  
"Carlos! Thank goodness you are okay. You are okay aren't you?"  
"I'm a scientist. I'm fine."  
"What are those marks?"  
Rochelle peered at Carlos's temples, just by his hairline. Carlos rubbed at the marks.  
"Oh, it's saline gel I think. They did something with electrodes but then they untied me and threw me out before turning the machine on."  
Rochelle and Dave jumped and yelled as a disembodied voice said, "That was for re-education."

"Oh, sorry. Cecil is here. He's invisible. It's very scientifically interesting and I need to investigate."  
"Invisible? That is not possible!"  
Rochelle shook her head and started talking about optics. Carlos waved at her to stop. Cecil stood behind Carlos with a hand on each shoulder.  
"I thought so to, but it turns out to be merely very improbable. Did they trash my apartment too?"  
"Yes but Dave righted it for you. Everything they didn't take or break is back where it should be."  
"Thank you. I think I will take Cecil upstairs and see what we can find out about his unusual condition."  
Carlos got up. Dave and Rochelle watched as he walked towards the stairs, slipped on some spilled bumping granules and _was caught_.

Carlos looked around, Dave had done a good job. He said he needed a shower and headed for the bathroom. Cecil followed him, talking so that Carlos knew where he was.  
"Is it weird?"  
"It is quite unsettling, if I hold you and I know you're there but can't see you it sends conflicting signals to my brain. If I shut my eyes my brain fills in the gaps and it feels like normal. By which I do not mean to imply that you are abnormal, unusual yes but... Anyway I wonder how weird it looks when I kiss you or... whatever."  
Cecil laughed.  
"I can imagine that must look quite strange. Want to take a photo? Wait there. I'm getting in the shower with you."  
Cecil undressed. As he dropped his clothes on the floor they became visible. Carlos felt a hand on his face and lips on his. He closed his eyes, looped his arms around an invisible waist and kissed back.  
"Look."  
Cecil put the phone on the edge of the bath where it became visible to Carlos. The photograph showed Cecil clearly.  
"Oh that's a keeper." 

Carlos experimented but had to dictate notes to his phone. Because of this inconvenience, he did not initiate any experimentation until after their shower.  
"Is it okay if I leave the dictation app running?"  
"I guess that would be okay if you intend to analyse your observations yourself, I mean without any other scientists assisting."  
"I have shared quite enough scientific data with Dave and Rochelle. This is for us. Are you still wearing my robe? I did not expect it to become invisible when you put it on."  
Cecil nodded then realised how pointless that gesture was.  
"Yes."  
"I want to find out the conditions that must be satisfied for an object to become invisible around you. Can you take the robe off?"  
The robe appeared in a heap on the floor. Carlos picked it up. He felt hands at his waist unfastening the towel around him, heard a voice near his ear.  
"If I have to be naked, so do you. That's fair, right?"

Cecil was not an entirely cooperative study specimen. He did as he was asked, but he also did things he was not asked. After an hour of picking things up and putting them down, touching objects with varying degrees of force or intent, Cecil began to get a little bored.  
"Carlos, can we do something else for a while?"  
Carlos put on shorts and a tee and found a spare tee for Cecil. The tee lifted into the air and vanished. Carlos giggled.  
"I knew you would look cute in that. WHOA!"  
Cecil swept Carlos up into his arms and deposited him on the bed, collapsing on top of him before rolling off to the side and laughing. Carlos closed his eyes and was immediately aware of where Cecil was, lying next to him with an arm draped around his waist. Carlos turned, kept his eyes closed and stroked up Cecil's arm to his shoulder and neck, cupping his hand around Cecil's jaw before leaning in to kiss him.  
"Cecil? This might sound a little odd given the circumstances, but I think I would feel more comfortable if I was wearing a blindfold."  
Carlos felt Cecil shift and the tee shirt he had just put on landed on the floor. Invisible hands helped Carlos out of his shirt. The shirt vanished.  
"Okay, sit up so that I can reach."  
Carlos felt invisible fabric across his eyes and an invisible knot being tied behind his head. Cecil let go of the shirt and it became comfortingly opaque to Carlos.  
"Hold on, I should be blindfolded too. Just need to find something... there."

They lay next to each other, feeling their way around each other. Carlos began a systematic method: head, face, neck, shoulders, chest, stroking and kissing each area. Cecil chose a more direct approach, putting his arm around Carlos's waist, holding him tightly and rolling onto his back with Carlos on top of him. Cecil let his hands play up and down Carlos's back, settling lower each time until he was circling his hands around Carlos's ass as they ground into each other.

Carlos abandoned his scientific exploration. He straddled Cecil and reached a hand between them to stroke his cock, eliciting a moan of pleasure. He kissed the moan away then trailed kisses from Cecil's face down his chest and stomach. He heard and felt Cecil catch his breath as he mouthed over his scrotum and tongued around the base of his erection.  
Carlos giggled as he licked and kissed up Cecil's shaft.  
"Oh fuck, please don't stop. What's funny?"  
"I was just imagining what this must look like, me supported on thin air and pulling very strange faces."  
Cecil laughed and wove fingers into Carlos's hair, making Carlos gasp and _hmmm_ as he resumed working his mouth around Cecil's cock.  
"Aaah that's _lovely_ but I can think of something nice that might look even more strange if we could see it."  
He pulled Carlos's hair to guide him back up into a kiss. Carlos put on a show of resistance, making Cecil whimper as he sucked all the way up his cock until it popped out of his mouth. Carlos giggled.  
"I think I can deduce what you have in mind, although I was quite content with what I was doing a moment ago. Do you want to be the enzyme or the substrate molecule?"

Cecil laughed.  
"If you'd rather not, just say. Don't confuse me."  
"Sorry, which quark... oh that probably won't mean much to you either."  
Cecil kissed Carlos with more warmth than heat.  
"Can I be direct without embarrassing you?"  
"Please try."  
"I want to feel you inside me. I want to feel you fuck me."  
Carlos kissed Cecil, soft lips and tongue and increasing pressure. Cecil, one hand still woven into Carlos's hair, responded with passion.

Some time later, time that Carlos tried to make last but flew past for both of the lovers, Carlos opened his eyes. The blindfold had loosened and fallen from his face soon after he slowly entered Cecil after teasing him with fingers until he swore, and waited, listening to his breathing and his pleasurable sounds, waited for Cecil to thrust, to signal that it was time to move.  
He kept his rhythm slow, taking pleasure in every languid thrust and pull, giving Cecil space to adjust position for his own pleasure. He listened to Cecil, loving the noise he made, analysing the frequency and the timbre of his involuntary vocalisations. Carlos was quiet, a habit from so many years in shared accommodation. He wondered what it would feel like, to let go, to make noise, to shout his joy at the universe without reserve.  
Cecil's sounds changed, became more insistent, needier. Carlos closed his eyes again, clasped a hand around Cecil's cock and moved, synchronised, faster, harder, deeper. He felt his orgasm begin to build towards its conclusion as Cecil tightened around him and came in pulsing waves of pleasure. Carlos opened his eyes and saw, saw Cecil with his head thrown back and his mouth open, eyes hidden and a look on his face that Carlos thought he would like to study for the rest of his life.  
Within seconds Carlos was spent and grinning, lying bonelessly on top of his very visible Cecil, waiting for the right moment to speak.  
"Is it too soon?"  
"Too soon for what? I need forty minutes or so then we can go again if you want. We could clean up, get dressed, watch TV for a while, move the action to the sofa?"  
"No, no... well yes, you could be the top quark this time if you like, but that was not what I meant. Is it too soon to tell you that you are the reason I remain in Night Vale?"  
"I love you too, Carlos."

Downstairs in the lab, Rochelle and Dave emerged from the darkroom hoping they hadn't made too much noise. 


	18. Planning the Perfect Date (1)

Cecil, despite his best efforts, remained stubbornly visible next morning. Carlos was relieved although he was uncharacteristically tactful and held Cecil while he stressed about losing the power of invisibility. This led to more questions from Carlos, not all scientific.  
"What did you mean when you said you _always_ feel down when you lose a power? Do you have other powers? Does this kind of thing happen a lot?"  
Cecil sighed.  
"Sometimes. I have not told you much about myself. You knew about the tentacles and the strength and the invisibility. There is a prophecy, I get these powers for some reason and when the reason has passed I lose the power. I don't get advance warning."  
"Oh. The unpredictability must be stressful."  
"You're okay with this?"  
Carlos shrugged.  
"It is who you are. I'm okay with that."  
"What if I turn into some kind of mucus-monster with the superpower of being able to engulf my enemies in snot?"  
Carlos laughed.  
"Can you get tentacles with that?"

Over the next week or so Carlos was careful not to do anything illegal. This involved checking local bye-laws with Cecil frequently just to be on the safe side. He did not attempt to smuggle any more spaghetti when he ordered a pack of assorted measuring cylinders to replace those broken during the search and he checked the wording of their writing implement permit carefully before ordering precisely one blue fine nib sharpie each.  
Despite their best intentions, Cecil and Carlos saw little of each other. Their occupations kept them busy. Cecil had to produce reports on the destruction of the library and the appearance of a new subway system, Carlos wanted to investigate the sudden infestation of roaches that seemed to be everywhere. Dave had seen a similar infestation before and was keen to assist. Rochelle said she had her own projects to run, thank you very much. 

Their communication was mainly snatched moment phone calls and texts.  
 _Sorry I have to cancel, roaches reported in old town, must get samples xox_  
 _Can we meet tomorrow same time same place instead? Have to interview witnesses all evening xxx_  
 _Miss you. Can we postpone again? Dave found something really fascinating xox_  
 _Carlos, where are you? I've been here for half an hour. Did you forget?_  
 _I'm sorry! Can I make it up to you?_  
 _Call me when you're ready to remember that you have a boyfriend._

The last text hurt. Carlos banged his phone down and scowled. Dave looked up from the visualiser he was positioning over an upturned, pinned roach.  
"You okay?"  
"Yes. No. I'm fine."  
"Except you're not?"  
"Hmm."  
Dave waited but Carlos was not volunteering any further information without a prompt.  
"How is Cecil? He has not been round here for a while."  
"I think he wants me to choose between _science_ and _boyfriend._ And I can't."

Dave stopped what he was doing and watched Carlos, who was still frowning at his phone.  
"I would generally not presume to offer a comment on anyone else's personal life, we have Ell for that sort of thing, but in her absence may I say something?  
"What?"  
"Get your ass down to the radio station. I can manage without you for an extended break."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Why are you still here, Carlos."  
Carlos left, texting as he jogged to his car.  
 _you back at work? see you v soon x_

Cecil read the text and his heart leapt despite his decision to be angry with Carlos for standing him up on their lunch date. He stared at the studio wall. He loved the studio around broadcast time, it felt like a living thing with the _On Air_ sign lit up red and the pretty lights on the mixing desk. He was a day away from broadcasting his show and the lights were all dead.  
An intern knocked on the door.  
"Visitor for you Mr Palmer. He's... oh! Here."  
Carlos lurked in the doorway after the intern left.  
"Can I come in?"  
Cecil stood to push his chair back and make space in the tiny studio.  
"I want you to know that I am angry with you for standing me up. Also that I am very happy to see you. And that is confusing. I don't get to choose my feelings, they are to a certain extent delivered by you."  
With that, and Carlos's stuttered apology out of the way, Cecil smiled, kissed Carlos and forgave him.

"I still want to make it up to you. I was worried, I get so wrapped up in whatever I am doing that I forget the rest of existence. I don't know if I can change that."  
"I don't want you to change, it's who you are. Maybe... maybe if you remembered to call when you can't meet me?"  
"I could set an alarm on my phone for thirty minutes before our next date. That is, if you are willing to arrange to see me again. I'm sorry, I'm not good at this."  
"Then practise and get better at it. Think of somewhere we might both like to go, call me and ask me out. I'll say yes."  
Carlos smiled.  
"Coffee? Now?"  
"Oh, no, you will have to do better than that!"  
Carlos lingered over their goodbye kiss then handed in his visitor badge at reception and went back to work, his mind preoccupied with where on Earth he could take Cecil on a date. 

He asked Dave once he returned to the lab.  
"I have no idea. Dinner?"  
"No, I can't afford anywhere nice. Where do you take Ell?"  
"We're not dating."  
"Really? I could have sworn you were, you act like a couple."  
"Yeah, but we don't date. We sometimes go out for a drink after work. We work together, we don't need to make special arrangements to meet up."  
"Huh. Logical I suppose. What have you found out about the roaches?"  
"You're going to love this. They're robotically controlled." 

Cecil continued to work on news items for the radio station whilst wondering where Carlos would offer to take him. It wouldn't matter, he only wanted the scientist actually to spend time thinking about him. He reached around his lower back, the scar from his tentacles was itching. It felt raised in areas. He felt around it carefully then reached for his phone.  
 _Can I come to the lab after I finish up here? x_  
 _Yes, I was going to suggest that we meet up. Is 7 too early? Date tonight?_  
 _Where are you taking me? 7 is perfect._  
 _It's a secret. I predict that you will like it x_  
 _I may have some news you will like too. x_  
Cecil prodded the eight bumps on his lower back and smiled. They could break through the skin any moment. He made an excuse and went home. 

Carlos texted Rochelle.  
 _help! need a good idea for a date tonight. It is safe to come back to the lab, the roaches are robots._  
 _Tell me when the robo-roaches are all gone. Something romantic?_  
 _yes_  
 _pack a picnic and take him somewhere unusual_  
 _picture me rolling my eyes_  
 _Just get the picnic ready, I'll think of somewhere._

At home, Cecil removed his work clothes and put on looser clothing. He used his phone to take a photograph and looked at the tiny tentacles emerging from his back. They were growing more quickly than last time and he felt sleepy. He set an alarm for six thirty and went to bed.  
When he woke up, his tentacles were still not full size but were big enough to wrap around his waist. He smiled, he had missed them. He was still tired and his finger hovered over Carlos's name in his contacts for a moment before he got up and got ready to go out.  
He still had Carlos's loose flannel shirt. It was the perfect choice for tonight.

Cecil arrived at the lab right on time. He parked around the back and went in. He could not sense Carlos, but that did not worry him, his third eye seemed to be erratic and he suspected that he was losing it once more. The door swished shut and Cecil looked around for any sign of scientists.

He screamed. There were roaches on every surface. They scuttled over the floor, tumbled off the benchtops, emerged from the air vents and fell in a writhing, clicking mass on top of each other.  
The roaches closest to Cecil scuttled towards him and started climbing onto his shoes. He yelled and jumped, stamping on one. It was undamaged and continued trying to get up onto Cecil's shoe. He kicked it away but others took its place and soon there were roaches _oh shit they're in my clothes!_ He shuddered and shouted and shook to dislodge them but nothing worked.  
As a last, desperate measure, Cecil shed his clothing and stood in his shorts, brushing the roaches off with his hands in a state of growing panic and horror. His tentacles uncoiled, almost full size now, and joined in. The roaches removed by his tentacles lay still, rendered immobile by colourless, sticky gel that was secreted by the tips of his tentacles. He continued to remove roaches from his own body with the smaller pairs of tentacles and experimented with the largest pairs, depositing sticky gel on as many roaches as he could reach. 

Suddenly a dark shape rose up from the corner of the lab and staggered towards him. It was waving, gesturing at him. It tried to speak but the mouth was immediately filled by roaches trying to climb inside. A sound that might have been a muffled scream came from the creature as it fell to the floor again.  
Cecil reached close enough to clear the roaches from the creature's face.  
"Carlos! Oh no, not Carlos, no..."  
Cecil removed roaches from his scientist as quickly and as gently as he could, immobilising them all. Carlos lay still. He coughed and gagged. Cecil knelt down and opened Carlos's mouth, pulling two roaches out and killing them. Carlos took a deep, ragged breath in then out again, coughed, rolled over and threw up.

Cecil lifted Carlos and took him upstairs. The apartment was free of roaches. He laid Carlos on the sofa and went back to the lab. Cecil stood up on a benchtop and concentrated, holding out his tentacles. Somehow he knew what to do, he only hoped he would be able to get back to Carlos afterwards. He held out his tentacles, flexed the muscles that controlled the mucus sacs and coated the entire lab in a fine mist of sticky fluid that gummed up the workings of the robo-roaches.

Cecil half jumped and half fell off the bench and staggered for the stairs. Carlos was there to catch him as he fell. Carlos carried Cecil up to the apartment, straight to the kitchen and gave him Gatorade.  
Cecil downed the whole bottle in ninety seconds then lay back clutching his stomach. Carlos brought him a pillow and a blanket and more Gatorade.  
"That was very good timing, Cecil, thank you. Dave had just left to tell Ell that we were getting rid of the last few robo-roaches when I noticed a switch on one of them. I thought it might be a deactivation control so I tried it and thousands of them came crawling up out of the drains. I guess it was some kind of homing beacon. Did you see any roaches anywhere else on your way here?"  
"No but it's not the kind of think I look out for. Strange deer, yes. Feral dogs, yes. Hooded figures, yes. Roaches, no. Got any more Gatorade? Why did you call them robo-roaches?"  
"They are part insect with a robotic component driving them, controlled via 3G or possibly signals hidden in the GPS system. Here," Carlos handed Cecil his third bottle. "How is your stomach feeling? How are you processing liquids so quickly? When did you get the tentacles back? Could they do that sticky gel thing before? How did you... Sorry."  
Cecil was choking on the Gatorade in an effort not to laugh.  
"That was completely gross downstairs. Can you overlook the fact that I just deactivated thousands of roaches by spraying mucus over them?"

Carlos pushed his fingers through Cecil's hair which had stuck to his face. He smiled.  
"Overlook the most scientifically interesting person I ever met? Why would I do that?"  
"I think our date might be ruined."  
"No, if you are feeling better we are going to get cleaned up and go out. Dave can sort the lab out, although I suspect all evidence of the robo-roaches might mysteriously vanish overnight given a suitably obvious opportunity, like a vacant building."  
"Carlos, if you would like to stay over at my place tonight you are very welcome. I do feel a lot better. Can I borrow your shower and some clothes? I have no desire to try to recover what I was wearing before the infestation."

They got cleaned up and dressed with only a little interference from wayward appendages. Carlos sent a text to Dave and Rochelle to tell them not to go to the lab until late next morning. He grinned at Cecil who was wearing a baggy science tee and sweatpants with borrowed training shoes. He looked good, thought Carlos, he always did and he had no idea.  
Carlos swung his backpack over one shoulder and offered Cecil his free hand.  
"Where are we going?"  
"We are going for a picnic dinner at the abandoned harbour project. I've been there for science before, it's quite pretty at night and just a little spooky. I thought it would be nice to take a walk in the twilight and I packed candles and a torch for dinner and for the walk back to the subway.  
"The subway?"  
"Yes, there's a station there according to the subway map. That way we can both have wine and nobody needs to worry about driving."


	19. Planning the perfect date (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gratuitous tentacle abuse for the last time.

Carlos led Cecil out of the building, loudly announced their intention to leave the lab unoccupied overnight and walked to the subway station at the corner of the street. There were a few people around, sitting by the kerb and on the curved seating designed to make it ergonomically impossible to fall asleep, looking dazed and lost. One spoke as they passed.  
"Whar's this?"  
"Just down the street from Big Rico's. Look!"  
"Naw, whit place is this here?"  
"Night Vale of course, you just got off the subway."  
"Aye, bu' Ah got oan the unnergroon at Buchanan Street. This shid be Hullheid. There isnae ony Night Vale in Glesga. Ah think ah'm loast."  
The desolate figure shook its head slowly.  
"At least it's no rainin' here. That's sumthin."

They shrugged at each other. The short, incoherent creature did not seem to be in any immediate danger so they joined hands again and descended the escalator into the station. They followed the signs down further, finally reaching a narrow platform. A train waited for them, doors hissing open as they arrived. They went in and sat together after Carlos, remembering habits from long ago, carefully checked that the seat was clean and there were no talkative people nearby.  
"This is exciting! I have not been on a train like this one before. How long will the journey take?"  
Carlos smiled at Cecil's easy enthusiasm and squeezed his hand.  
"It is eight stops according to the map up there, look. We go right across town. I don't know how long but based on similar mass transit systems I'd say maybe twenty to thirty minutes?"  
He pointed at the display on the angle between the wall and the ceiling.  
"Some of the stations have unusual names. Look at that one."  
Cecil pointed. It looked like one of the signwriters had been having a joke. The third stop was simply called _Void_.  
 **Night Vale Transit Authority welcomes you to this train for Waterfront, passing through Void where you will terminate.**

The train set off with a rattle and a loud buzz. Cecil surreptitiously allowed one tentacle to snake out from under his teeshirt to wrap around Carlos's waist. Carlos grinned at him and brought a hand up to stroke the tentacle through the fabric of his shirt. Cecil smiled and stared straight ahead. They stopped at the next station, Grove Park. A few people got on but nobody got off. They set off once more.  
Cecil wriggled the tentacle around Carlos's waist, making him shiver and squirm.  
"Hey, cut that out!" Carlos whispered.  
In response, Cecil worked the tip of the tentacle into the waistband of Carlos's jeans whilst keeping his expression as neutral as possible.  
"Cecil! Please, not here."  
"What? Oh I am so sorry, I had no idea."  
The tentacle was removed, slipped over Carlos's skin delightfully slowly.  
"Liar. You know exactly what you are doing with those!" 

The train halted once more and a clipped voice announced **City Hall. Alight here for re-education, realignment and redefinition of your moral stance.** A few nervous looking passengers left the train. **Next stop: Void. Mind the gap.**  
The train pulled away from City Hall station. Carlos checked his watch. It was almost nine.  
The train seemed to be speeding up and yet the darkness outside the windows showed no indication of their motion. Cecil sneaked a tentacle around Carlos's waist again and Carlos tried to explain to Cecil about relativity and frames of reference but he couldn't find the right words, as if his brain function was slowing. He felt slightly drunk.  
Cecil was struggling in a different way.  
 _Is this real? Am I here or dreaming? Is this my dream, or am I a figment of someone else's dream, ready to vanish when they wake? How could I tell? Is Carlos real or am I dreaming his existence? Are we both part of someone else's brain's attempt to rationalise their experiences of the past day?..._  
 **Void. You will terminate here.**  
Carlos held tightly to Cecil as the train doors opened. Cecil stopped caring who saw his tentacles and wrapped all of them protectively around Carlos and looped his arms around an upright yellow-painted metal post as the train body peeled away from them. They stared into the sucking, inky black of the void.

Carlos heard Cecil shout one word, once only. _EARL?_

Carlos lost track of time. They might have been there staring into the void for hours or days. His head emptied of rational thought and his memories receded. All that existed was _here_ and _now_ and **_void_**. And... and... _Cecil_. Cecil was there, Cecil was real, Cecil was talking to him in _that voice_ telling him it was okay, he was safe.  
Carlos shook back into himself, looking around him, looking at Cecil. They were the only passengers left on the train.  
"What happened?"  
"We saw the Void. Not the little patches that sometimes break through, but the Void proper. It took everybody except us. I saw..."  
"What?"  
 _I saw your eyes turn black like the void itself and you smiled at it, laughed and reached out to it with both arms like you were going home._  
"Nothing. How long now, do you think?"  
Carlos looked at his watch. It was almost nine. 

"We can study the Void properly on the way back."  
"I have a better idea, why don't we stay out all night? It's warm enough and you could call Dave or Ell to collect us in the morning, or we could have a midnight walk home.  
"Cecil it's miles! Do you hate the subway that much?"  
Cecil shuddered.  
"Yes."  
"Okay, I suppose I could study the Void another time."  
"Please warn me when you decide to do that."

They reached their stop with no further incident, unless you count the occasional confused passengers who appeared on the train suddenly between stations.  
 _Donde esta Atocha?_  
 _This is not the Victoria Line!_  
 _I'm on a train! How the fuck..._  
Carlos led Cecil up out of the station and they set off across the boardwalk of the Waterfront Recreational Area. 

It was dark and Cecil asked for the torch. They walked far enough to be out of sight and sound of the station's occasional rumbling then chose a spot to sit. Carlos spread the lightweight blanket, lit the little candles, unpacked the food and opened the bottle of wine.  
"None of this is home made, sorry. And I forgot to pack glasses."  
He held the bottle out to Cecil who smiled and took a swig.  
"This reminds me of being a scout. I was a terrible scout."  
"I bet you got lots of badges."  
Cecil laughed.  
"I got _subversive radio host_ with help from Earl and _breaking and entering._ Thankfully my prophecy confirmed that my talents lie elsewhere."

They passed the wine back and forth and ate pitta and hummus, falafel and dip, but decided that the speciality mortadella from the deli tasted a little odd. Cecil wrapped an arm around Carlos's shoulder and a tentacle around his waist. Carlos stroked the tentacle absently and rested his head on Cecil's shoulder.  
They sat, feet hanging over where there should be water but was only sand. Carlos fingered over the tip of the tentacle, feeling its texture. It moved a little under his examination of it and Cecil giggled.  
"They are just as sensitive as before. They feel the same to me. Do you notice any difference?"  
"Only the mucus. It is secreting mucus now, but it is not sticky. It appears to produce a different consistency depending on circumstances."  
"Oh! Sorry," Cecil started to retract the oozing tentacle. "I didn't know I was doing that. Let me clean that up.."  
"It's okay, Cecil, I might have a hypothesis about your powers but I need to do some testing before I'm ready to explain my theory."  
Carlos lifted his head and kissed Cecil. The tentacle in his hand quivered and pulsed as he manoeuvred Cecil backwards and lay beside him, propped up on one elbow, other hand stroking Cecil's tentacles under his shirt. Carlos tried to keep his voice flat and passive.  
"So, what else can you do with these?"

Cecil laughed.  
"Are you asking what I think you are asking?"  
Carlos caught the end of another tentacle, a smaller one, circled a finger around it and lifted it up to his lips. It stayed dry and he kissed it. He heard Cecil draw in a breath so he licked and gently sucked at the end of the tentacle. Cecil sighed and lay back, lifting one arm to stroke a hand through Carlos's hair. Carlos released the tentacle and replaced it.  
"I don't know, what do you think I am asking?"  
"Are you teasing me?"  
"Yes. I find your tentacles very... appealing. For both scientific and nonscientific reasons. I would like to investigate their properties, uh, _not for science_ first. If you want to... oh!"  
Carlos felt Cecil use his tentacles to unfasten his jeans. Cecil kissed him, holding his head with both hands while his tentacles worked their way into his shorts with enthusiasm. 

Cecil flipped Carlos onto his back and knelt between his thighs. He leaned forwards, supported on knees and forearms and kissed with passion. He used tentacles to pull Carlos's jeans down off his hips, hooked a tentacle around the waistband of his shorts and delved in with another to wrap around his cock. Carlos moaned into the kiss, giving Cecil all the encouragement he needed to add another two, larger tentacles that pushed Carlos's knees up and held them still. Cecil used two smaller tentacles to play over the skin of Carlos's chest and stomach, flicking and slipping over his nipples. Carlos arched in pleasure, moaning and kissing and trying to thrust into the tentacle wrapped firmly around his erection. One more slick, warm tentacle found its way to Carlos's entrance and carefully probed as Carlos caught his breath and opened his eyes briefly to see Cecil watching him with an expression of adoration.

Carlos helped push the borrowed sweatpants down and clasped a hand around Cecil's cock. Cecil reached down and pulled Carlos's hand away, interlacing their fingers and guiding Carlos's hand above his head. He repeated the action with the other hand. He stopped moving, nose to nose with Carlos, teasing as Carlos arched up then reached for a kiss, allowed Carlos to come down just a little. Cecil closed his eyes and kissed Carlos as he released his tentacle grip on Carlos's cock, prompting a sound of quiet complaint from him. He kissed harder, exploring with his tongue as he wound two slick tentacles around their erections, holding them together and stroking in a firm slow rhythm that built up gradually in tempo with the pulsating tentacle in Carlos's anus.

Carlos came, calling out incoherent syllables that made sense only to himself and his lover. Cecil held Carlos through his orgasm then released him and concentrated on himself for a moment, sinking his head to Carlos's shoulder and trying not to bite down as he came.  
They lay together, recovering, not caring about anything other than their need for warm physical contact, not wanting to be the first to move, until after the candles burned out.

Cecil heard it first.  
"Carlos, we have to get up, pass me the blanket or something."  
Carlos complained but complied, then he heard it too. A voice approaching.  
"Carlos? Carlos? Cecil? Are you out here? Carlos?"  
By the time they let Dave find them, they were dressed and packed up ready to go.

"Dave? Thanks for coming to get us. Did I call you? I was going to but..."  
"No, you didn't call. I got your message about not going to the lab and Ell told me your date plans, sorry for interrupting by the way, and I had to come find you. Carlos, Cecil, do not get on the subway again. People are getting on and not getting off again, disappearing, or they are getting off _changed_ somehow, _reduced_ like they have less substance... Oh I can't explain it properly yet. We need to study it, but from a safe distance."  
"Oh."  
"Do you want a ride home since I'm here?"  
"Yes please."  
Carlos looked at Cecil, who nodded.  
"Can you drop us at Cecil's place?"  
Cecil added, grinning, "For science." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation of selected text in the first paragraph:
> 
> Where is this place?  
> No, really, where is this place?  
> That's all very well, but I boarded an underground train at Buchanan Street. This should be Hillhead. As far as I am aware there is no part of Glasgow called Night Vale. I believe I may be misplaced.  
> At least the weather is clement, which makes a pleasant change.


	20. Actions and Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos makes two mistakes, one of which involves a dragon.  
> He also makes one hypothesis about Cecil's abilities.

By the time Carlos decided to examine Cecil's appendages _scientifically_ they were gone. Cecil arrived at the lab at the agreed time, after Carlos had suggested to Rochelle and Dave that they take the afternoon, swing by the house that does not exist then go look for an apartment where random objects did not move around and their books could be trusted to retain the same text from day to day without adding biographical paragraphs here and there. Carlos was skeptical about this but Rochelle brought one of her books, _The Feynman Lectures in Physics vol. 1,_ to show Carlos a paragraph that began _"It was around my thirtieth birthday, although I have no understanding of the concept of birthday now since I simply am, I exist, in all places and at all times I am there and here. At some time in my existence and at some place, I realised that I did not have to choose what I did or saw or experienced, I could do and see and experience everything if only I..._  
"You're right," Carlos confirmed after reading for a minute. "That is definitely not Feynman's style of prose. You probably ought to study this phenomenon but also live somewhere else." 

Carlos sat at his work area, reading his notes from the last time he had examined Cecil, smiling as he remembered Cecil's retreat upstairs and his own activity in the break area. He had examined the new tentacles in a lot more detail but had neglected to take any notes. He heard the door swish and looked up.  
"Cecil! What happened?"  
Cecil stayed quiet, perched on the bench opposite Carlos and removed his shirt. Carlos saw the smooth patch of shiny new skin on Cecil's lower back.  
"Oh! Oh I'm so sorry, Cecil. When did it happen?"  
Carlos put his arms around Cecil's shoulders.  
"Last night when I was asleep. I got up and my tentacles stayed on the bed. I was going to bring them, I wrapped them in the sheet but they disintegrated into formless goop and I got rid of them."  
Carlos kissed Cecil's forehead.  
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"  
"Lend me some sheets?"

Cecil put his shirt back on.  
"Sorry, Carlos, I'm a little distracted. You remember I told you about Dana?"  
"Your intern who went into the dog park? That wasn't just a story to scare me?"  
"No, Dana's real, she got shut in the dog park. Anyway, she got in touch! She's okay and she says she was in a house and when she left it she was in a desert and there were people who couldn't see her. It made me think of the house you have been studying. How are the new kids getting on by the way?"  
"Oh, they are settling in. Hardly kids though! They are out at the house that does not exist with their clipboards. I listened to you and did not ring the doorbell, even though one of them bet me five bucks."  
"Mmhmm, I'm glad you are taking my warnings seriously at last although we could have got tacos with that. I miss Dana. She was... is nice. I hoped that when she stopped being an intern she'd be a friend."  
"Want to go upstairs and just hang out or go out somewhere?"  
"I want to fall asleep secure in the knowledge that when I wake up I will be the same. Or maybe I would like to see what is going to happen far enough in advance to be able to prepare for it. Maybe life would be easier if everyone had some advance warning."  
"Scientifically speaking, waking up the same as you were when you fell asleep is impossible."

Carlos explained to Cecil some of the minute changes that constantly affect the body and how important they are specifically to his continued survival. Cecil listened to Carlos babble about biology but did not listen in to many of the details. He found Carlos's science talk usually calming, unless it was _look out! It's going to explode!_ But that had just been the once.  
"Carlos? I don't feel much like company tonight. I think I will go home. I have to prepare to interview the candidates for the mayoral elections. Call me later?"  
"Okay, let me get you those sheets you wanted." 

Cecil went home, ate badly and slept badly after failing to concentrate on choosing the right balance of questions to ask the politicians. By the time Carlos called, Cecil was downright grumpy and Carlos cut the call short before he was accused of anything more serious than being a noisy eater.  
Cecil had bad dreams. He dreamed about a red blinking light. As his dream progressed, the ground under the light swelled and rose up high to form a mountain in the middle of a flat, featureless landscape strewn with bones. An army of tall, masked warriors marched across the flood plain, scattering the bones as they walked, heading steadily and surely for Night Vale.  
He woke in a panic and the vision was still there. Cecil blinked it away and reached for his phone, but it was late. He texted anyway, not expecting a reply. Prepared for there to be no reply. Ready to be annoyed with Carlos for not replying.  
 _Having bad dreams._  
 _Should I come over? Call if you want x_  
Cecil settled for a phone call. He described his dream in detail to a sleepy-sounding scientist, arranged a date for a couple of days later and lay awake wrapped in sheets that smelled of Carlos.  
Carlos wrote down a few details about Cecil's dream and their date then fell asleep.

Cecil was no less tired the next morning but his mood had lifted and he was a little less upset. He had a lot of work to do but at least he had a date to look forward to. He spent the morning drafting interview questions for the mayoral candidates.  
Carlos, meanwhile, heard similar stories about bad dreams over the next few days. Rochelle mentioned a masked army, he overheard people at the store comparing tales of blinking red lights and mountains, and one of the lab assistants spent break time muttering about a bone-strewn alluvial plain into his coffee. 

Carlos asked Dave to investigate. He had a bigger project. Someone had told him that the two main candidates for Mayor were _a faceless old woman who secretly lives in your home_ and _literally a five headed dragon._ He just _had_ to investigate that.  
He set off for City Hall to find out more, ready for the disappointment of finding that the two candidates were perfectly normal for political figures and the names were a joke. His disappointment was that he could not enter City Hall. The security guards were reasonably polite and unreasonably firm. Carlos turned his back on the building and his disappointment vanished immediately, replaced by a sense of wonder. There was a five-headed dragon heading in his direction.

In hindsight, Carlos thought, he probably should have acted with a little more caution.

Citizens who saw Hiram McDaniels generally got out of the way quickly and efficiently. Carlos was used to having a certain level of immunity as a scientist, immunity from the after-effects of asking awkward questions. It had worked in Night Vale so far, generally if he spoke his mind a little zealously the locals would write it off to _he's an outsider, probably doesn't know any better they're all strange and a bit rude_ or _oh my glowing cloud, did he really just say that? That's so funny!_ or _Huh, it's our Voice's science feller so he must be okay really._

Carlos had questions to ask, the dragon had answers. It would never occur to Carlos that a five headed dragon might not be happy to discuss the finer points of dragon genetics with a strange little human. Not in advance, anyway. The scientist simply walked up to the dragon, introduced himself and asked his first question.  
"Mr McDaniels, how do you keep track of what five brains are thinking all at once?"

Cecil was on his way to meet Hiram for an interview. He heard the roar before he saw the jet of flame blasting the air where Carlos had just stood. Carlos lay flat on the ground, currently unsinged and unconscious.  
 **HOW DARE YOU ADDRESS ME, INSIGNIFICANT HUMAN! QUIVER BEFORE MY MIGHTY FIRE AND PREPARE TO DIE!**  
 _REALLY GREEN, HE JUST ASKED A QUESTION, WHY ARE YOU ALL "DIE, HUMAN"? AND YOU WONDER WHY YOU HAVE NO FRIENDS"_  
 ** _I wonder if I may interject and answer the question? It seems to me that..._ **  
**BE SILENT, PURPLE! HE SHOULD DIE AS A PAINFUL EXAMPLE TO THE REST OF HIS KIND...**  
 ** _My name is VIOLET, I have told you before._ **  
The Gold head noticed Cecil calmly watching him bicker with himself over what to do with the impertinent human who lay prone with Grey head nudging it.  
 **OUT OF THE WAY GREY, HE WILL PAY FOR HIS ARROGANCE. ARE YOU HUNGRY?**

Cecil exchanged a deep stare with Gold head. Within a few seconds Violet joined his gaze and even Green had to struggle to resist the compulsion to make eye contact with the second impertinent but _deeply interesting_ human. Blue gazed at the sky in defiance and Grey snuffled at Carlos for a moment more before turning a worried face to Cecil.

 _"Step away from the scientist."_  
The dragon flinched, fighting the command.  
 _"Step away from the scientist or I will cancel your next interview on my show."_  
 **YOU WOULD NOT DARE, I WILL KILL YOU FOR THE MERE SUGGESTION!**  
 _"You won't. Step away from him."_  
 **NEVER SINCE MY HATCHING IN THE FIRES OF THE VOLCANO HAVE I FOLLOWED ORDERS FROM A HUMAN. YOU WILL... DIE?**  
 _MAYBE, OR MAYBE WE WILL WRITE A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER OF COMPLAINT_  
The dragon sounded a lot less sure of himself.  
 _"Really, Hiram, please. Step away and leave him alone."_

The dragon stepped back. Grey head gave Carlos one last nudge and told Cecil he probably ought to get his scientist home and teach him better manners, adding that he _loved_ the show, they all did really, especially Vi but Green would never admit to it.  
Cecil walked over to Carlos, who was just showing signs of coming round. He waited beside him, eventually helped him to sit up.  
"I felt like leaving you here for Hiram."  
"Cecil? Uh, what happened?"  
"You did two insensitive things, Carlos. Second thing was to question a politician directly on a matter for which they had not carefully prepared answers. You must submit questions at least twenty four hours in advance"  
"Oh."  
"But the first thing was when you stood me up. Again."

Cecil helped Carlos to his feet, then across the road and into a coffee shop.  
"Cecil, I'm sorry. I remember _now_ , I wrote it down in my notebook with my notes about your dream. Can I make it up to you?"  
"Hmm, I don't know. We have had this conversation before, or a very similar one. Can't you call or text if you can't make it?"  
"I completely forgot. I was engrossed in this really interesting... "  
Carlos noticed Cecil's expression too late. Cecil's voice started out controlled and deadly calm but broke, raising in pitch and volume at the end and he would not look at Carlos.  
"Am I not interesting enough now? Something missing? _Eight_ things maybe? Trust me, Carlos, I miss them more. Am I just some kind of experiment to you? Notes and observations?"  
"That's not it at all! You're... You're the best thing... Please don't..."  
He gave up, shaking his head slowly, "Ah fuck. I knew I'd fuck up."  
Carlos stared at the table. Cecil stared out of the window until Carlos's words filtered through his fears. He nudged Carlos's knee with his own until the scientist looked up.  
"Carlos, you made me feel like you lost interest in me. It _hurts,_ can you understand that? You quietly say the right words, mostly, but your actions shout the opposite."  
"I'm sorry. I don't ever mean to make you believe that I don't love you."  
"Dinner and a movie would help me to get over it, especially something cooked by you. Tomorrow night."

They parted on better terms, both going back to work. Cecil headed to Hiram's campaign office and handed in a list of questions for approval. He had extended the same courtesy to the Faceless Old Woman by leaving questions for her on his kitchen table and she edited them herself.  
As he walked, he replayed the conversation with Carlos over in his mind. He took out his phone.  
"Carlos? No nothing is wrong. I thought you should know that I love you too."  
He smiled at the silence and hung up.

Carlos did not forget their dinner date. For one thing, Cecil texted him three times about it. For another, Cecil enlisted Rochelle's help to make sure Carlos did not work late. In turn, Rochelle set the lab assistants to clean the lab all afternoon making practical science work impossible and Dave dragged Carlos out shopping for a coherent set of ingredients.

Cecil arrived and let himself in to find Carlos lost in the kitchen.  
"Oh! Maybe I should have suggested cooking at my place."  
Carlos smiled.  
"Hi Cecil! That would have been easier, my oven has not recovered from the wheat-snakes, my refrigerator caught fire this morning and nothing good ever comes out of this microwave. Also, you have my spare sheets so I couldn't change the bedding."  
”Are you making assumptions, Carlos?”  
”A scientist must make relevant assumptions, conduct experiments, collate observations then refine their original set of assumptions until subsequent observation fits prediction.”  
Cecil affected his very best pompous voice and a facial expression to match.  
”Assume makes an ass of u and me”  
Carlos laughed.  
”I observe that you have a lovely ass and I predict that it will be easier to persuade you to stay if my bedroom is clean.”  
”Oh how could I resist romantic talk like that. You do know how to make a stir-fry, right?”

Cecil talked while Carlos chopped and cooked.  
"Prepare everything first. I had that dream again, you know, the red blinking light on the mountain dream."  
"Oh? Did you get any more detail?"  
"Mmhmm. Get the oil hot. It was a lot clearer this time."  
Carlos put the prepared ingredients into the smoking oil where they hissed and jumped as he stirred.  
"I have a hypothesis about your dream that..."  
"Heat off! It looks ready now. What?"  
Carlos looked at Cecil's tired face and decided his hypothesis could wait.  
"Oh that? Dave thinks it's just a mirage everyone keeps seeing when the light is just right. Very common phenomenon."

Later, after dinner and _X-Men,_ Carlos decided to test his hypothesis.  
"Good movie?"  
"Okay, but some of those mutations looked unhelpful. There are a couple of people I'd like to drain the life force from, but I'd want to be a little less indiscriminate about it. Thank you for the science commentary, it added a certain something to the whole suspension of disbelief thing."  
"Did you ever get any powers that were not useful? Sarcasm, perhaps?"  
"Not exactly, I'm not supposed to talk about it. My main one is my _Voice_ but it doesn't work on you. I'm glad it works on five-headed dragons. Could be useful when Hiram gets elected Mayor."  
"I like listening to your voice but I think I could resist following orders. Why do you say... Never mind. If you could have a new super power tomorrow, what would you want it to be?"  
Cecil thought for a moment.  
"Shapeshifting would be neat, I liked the whole blue-skin-red-hair look and it would be helpful for my interview with Hiram, but telekinesis would probably be more useful."  
Carlos smiled and thought _Interesting, I wonder which one he will get?_


	21. Trust

_A lonely heart, a wandering eye, an empty stomach, a shoulder to cry on. These are the things that make us, **us**._  
Cecil started his show on a personal note for Carlos, hoping he would hear and understand. 

A couple of days earlier, Cecil woke up next to Carlos to find that he had not been fully prepared for their date the previous evening. It was partly because of the horrible apartment and malfunctioning kitchen that Carlos suggested getting up early and having breakfast in the break area of the lab, but Cecil had imagined something better. He tried to explain. He told Carlos that he had wanted a romantic dinner for two with nice food, maybe a little too much wine, a movie they both liked that didn’t require scientific explanations of why it was wrong, making out on the sofa before being seduced considerately, waking up to a leisurely breakfast and a warm feeling of being loved. 

”I don’t understand, I thought I did most of that!”  
Carlos looked confused at Cecil’s irritation.  
Cecil sighed.  
”Dinner was a joint effort because you didn’t plan ahead, there was no wine, you talked through the whole film, you didn’t pick up on any of my hints that I wanted you to… your apartment is a mess and there’s no coffee. Seriously, Carlos, what am I doing here? What are we doing?”  
Carlos stared at the door for a full minute after Cecil slammed it.

Cecil went home. In a situation like this, worried about a relationship, he would have talked to Earl. Earl would have let him talk it out then told him he deserved more, the other guy was a dick, whatever he thought might make Cecil feel better. But Earl wasn’t available and Khoshekh, although quite a good listener, entirely lacked empathy.  
He decided to cheer himself up with breakfast at the Moonlight Diner. He was not the only customer. As he walked in and sat at the counter, a voice boomed out from the corner.  
 _PALMER, JOIN US_  
Cecil was not sure whether it was a question or not but the owner of that particular voice was probably, in his opinion, going to be mayor soon and it made sense to be amenable.  
 _I WISH TO DISCUSS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. THIS CHANCE MEETING IS COMPLETELY OFF THE RECORD._  
Cecil nodded.  
”Whatever you say, Hiram.” 

With his Green head, Hiram roared at the pathetic human form behind the counter to bring coffee and whatever humans eat for breakfast and give it to Cecil. With his Grey head, he asked if Carlos had recovered. Cecil scowled and Blue head fixed him with a Look. Blue head asked if there was a problem with the scientist.  
Cecil scowled a little deeper. He had not intended to talk about such a personal matter to such a public figure, but Grey head looked sympathetic and Blue head looked interested while Violet head made reassuring noises in the background, Green head roared about the futility of getting involved in the affairs of humans and Gold stared out of the window.  
All it took was a physical nudge from Grey and Cecil spilled all his fears that Carlos didn’t love him. Grey didn’t help by asking if this meant Carlos was about to be single again. Violet looked as embarrassed as a purple dragon face could possibly be. Blue asked Cecil what he intended to do about Carlos, Green thundered out graphic opinions about how painfully Carlos should die while Gold pretended they were all somewhere else.

Cecil felt much better after eating and offloading. Venting at a dragon was therapeutic. And Green’s suggestions of what to do with his errant scientist were equally frightening and amusing.  
”Thanks for breakfast, Hiram, I am sorry to have taken up so much of your time. Are the interview questions suitable? I can change any you don’t want to answer.”  
 **WE HAVE CHANGED SEVERAL IMPERTINENT QUESTIONS. HOW DARE YOU PRESUME TO INTERROGATE US ON THE MATTER OF…**  
 **That’s quite enough Green, Cecil the questions you may ask are here.**  
Hiram handed over a sheet of paper, momentarily stroking Cecil’s hand as he received it.

Cecil took the page, thanked the dragon again and left the diner. His face tingled where Grey head had nudged his cheek and his hand tickled where Hiram had stroked it. He checked his phone, his interview with Hiram was scheduled for the next morning. There was a text from Carlos.  
 _Do you still love me?_  
Cecil thought about possible replies.  
  
 _Yes of course, but…_ but what? But you don’t live up to my ideals? Nobody is perfect.  
 _Yes but I am afraid of getting hurt_ So what? Aren’t we all, on some level?  
 _Yes_  
 _No_  
But which was true? Eventually he replied with a reflected question.  
 _Do you love me?_

There was no immediate reply. There was no reply later at Carlos's usual finish time, And still no reply by bedtime.Cecil steeled himself for what he saw as the obvious reason. He almost texted, almost called, almost pitched up at Carlos's door to demand an answer.  
Almost.  
He couldn't sleep. Cecil got out of bed and paced his apartment, overheating and itching. His face and his hand burned. He took a cold shower but the burning only intensified.  
 _Carlos would know what this is,_ he thought. _Carlos would investigate, experiment, find a solution._ And still he dared not call.  
Cecil woke up on his bathroom floor, feeling tired but cool at last. Cold, even. He wanted to warm outdoors in the sunlight. Without opening his eyes he found his robe, slung it on and made for the door. Eyes opened a slit, he found the stair to the roof and climbed up as if he needed to be closer to the morning rays.  
He sat on the roof, stretched out lazily and yawned, relishing the heat that seemed to warm the blood beneath his skin and give him the energy to wake up.  
Cecil rubbed his face then sat bolt upright, opened his eyes and looked at his hands.  
 _Neat!_ He felt the contours of his face again. _Just the one head but this feels great!_

Hiram was speechless. He recognised by scent the puny radio human with the strangely compelling voice but couldn't help commenting on his new appearance.  
 **WE ARE IMPRESSED BY YOUR IMPROVED TASTE IN FORM AND FEATURE BUT WONDER WHY YOU WOULD SETTLE FOR ONLY ONE HEAD**  
 _THAT IS A GOOD LOOK ON YOU, ALTHOUGH YOU ARE A LITTLE SHORT FOR A DRAGON. ARE YOU READY TO RECORD? IS YOUR VOICE AFFECTED?_  
 **The only concern here is recording our campaign statement...**  
 _ **How is Carlos taking it? Does he like dragon features? You are quite a pretty little dragon, lovely shade of amethyst.**_  
Cecil fielded the personal questions and recorded the official interview with only a few comments from Green that would have to be carefully edited out.  
"Carlos has not seen me. He does not know."  
Blue suggested that Cecil should spend some time with him, learning how to be a dragon. Grey asked again if this meant Carlos was single. 

Hiram was just as confusing to dragon-Cecil as he was to human-Cecil. He seemed to have five opinions on everything, except food. He had two opinions on what to eat. Green, Gold and Violet wanted to exercise their right as a dragon to eat whatever got in their way, Blue and Grey, recognising that eating the electorate was counterproductive, preferred fast food. Cecil tried explaining that he was still human but Hiram was having none of it.  
 _IT IS OUR OPINION THAT YOU ARE MISTAKEN. YOU WERE HUMAN, NOW YOU ARE BETTER, IMPROVED._  
 **But why just the one head? One brain? We complement each other so well, five heads and five brains...**  
 **YOU ARE AN INFERIOR DRAGON YET ANY DRAGON IS BETTER THAN THE ROT OF HUMAN WEAKNESS.**  
Five pairs of eyes gazed at Cecil. Violet moved closed, rested his chin on Cecil's shoulder.  
 **Want to learn more about dragon lifestyles?**  
Grey pushed Violet off Cecil's shoulder. Gold and Blue blinked at each other. Green smiled, a terrifying sight.

Hiram took Cecil's hand and led him out of the campaign office. Cecil was not sure half an hour later whether it was because Hiram was a dragon or because he was a politician that he acted as if Cecil's consent was a foregone conclusion. He waited for Cecil to admire his twin inverted penislike organs as he everted them one at a time. Cecil croaked something like _I was so not expecting that!_ and ran.

He found Carlos barking at the lab assistants, something about so-which-one-of-you-einsteins-let-it-out. The three young scientists weighed up their fear of their boss against their fear of the dragon in the doorway and bolted for the fire escape.  
Carlos yelled at Cecil instead, not recognising his boyfriend.  
"I HAVE HAD IT WITH THIS PLACE! A FUCKING DRAGON! AFTER EVERYTHING ELSE, ALL THE SHIT THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK, THAT'S IT! I'M OUT! I'M GOING HOME."  
Cecil stepped into the room with difficulty.  
"Carlos? It's me. Please don't be mad."  
"MAD? ME? I'M A FUCKING SCIENTIST. A SCIENTIST IS NEVER MAD."  
"Carlos, please, help me."  
Carlos yelped once and jumped aside as a jet of flame erupted from Cecil's throat and incinerated the shadowy creature that had been clinging to the ceiling tiles, waiting for the right moment to drop onto the angry scientist below. 

Carlos glanced at the charred remains of the as yet unidentified creature that the lab assistants had allowed to escape from the basement then stared at the dragon in front of him. He looked closely, examined the glistening amethyst scales, the sparkling talons, put a hand out and waited.  
"You can touch, if you want."  
"Cecil? The voice is yours but... what happened?"  
Carlos gently ran his hands over Cecil's face, felt along his brow ridges, stroked fingers along the underside of his elongated jawbone.  
"Can I...?"  
Carlos opened Cecil's mouth and admired his teeth, looking for the source of the jet of flame.  
"Thanks for coming round. You have remarkably good timing. Shame there is not enough of the creature left for full identification but on the whole being alive is probably better than not. Um, Cecil? Are we okay? Only I broke my phone when it dropped out of my pocket into a puddle of whatever that animal excretes and dissolved. It was scientifically interesting but sometimes things that are scientifically interesting get in the way of things that are also important, personal things. I realise that now, Cecil. Ah, mmm, Cecil? Can we get you human again before... I mean can dragons even…?"

Cecil released Carlos.  
”Yes, please get me human. I am not sure how this happened. I went from here to the Moonlight, Hiram bought me breakfast and..."  
"Hiram. You had breakfast with the dragon that was going to kill me."  
"He wanted to discuss interview questions. He touched me and this happened."  
"Hiram touched you."  
"Carlos, I was upset. I itched afterwards."  
Carlos closed his eyes, put his face in his hands then shook himself slightly.  
"You were upset. You met _that dragon_ and he touched you. Where?"  
"In the diner." 

Carlos sighed.  
"That's not what... nevermind. Maybe if I touch you, you will return to your original form. May I?"  
"Yes. Please. I hate this. My claws won't operate my phone and I'm afraid I will accidentally hurt you and I can't kiss you and it's horrible. I want to eat people, Carlos!"  
"Hmm, probably best if you stay here then. Can I trust you?"  
"What?"  
"Will I be safe with you upstairs or should I lock you in the basement?"  
"Carlos! No, you can trust me. I promise." 

Carlos led Cecil upstairs to his apartment. Cecil noticed that it was clean and tidy although the kitchen was still a wreck.  
"I got new bedding but I couldn't afford a new oven and a fridge. Maybe next month."  
"It's fine. How should we do this?"  
"Uh, in the bedroom? Get undressed?"  
Cecil did as Carlos suggested, removing his clothing and lying on his side on the bed with his wings and tail taking up a lot of space. Carlos was impressed. He stroked Cecil's wings, admiring their leathery texture and purple shimmer. He moved on to stroke Cecil's tail, commenting on its beautiful dark hyacinth central ridge and tapered shape.  
"Oh! you have typical reptile reproductive anatomy. Complete with spines. That is scientifically interesting if a little... incompatible with human anatomy."  
"I ran when I saw Hiram's." 

Carlos stopped, got up and made best eye contact he could with Cecil.  
"You... saw Hiram's reproductive organs?"  
"Ah shit. Carlos, it wasn't like that."  
"You better tell me what it _was_ like. I want to know everything that happened to you since you left here."  
Cecil explained in his own way. Carlos listened without interrupting until Cecil finished with, "...and I wanted to be here with you because you can fix this. Can't you?"  
Carlos took Cecil's talons in his hands.  
"I think you can fix it yourself. Maybe if we sleep on it? But for the sake of practicality and safety I will take the sofa tonight." 

Cecil woke up with Carlos next to him. He checked his skin texture, relieved to find no scales, and his face, happy that he no longer sported a heavy set of brow ridges and a long jawline.  
"Carlos? Carlos, are you awake?"  
"Mmmf? yeah."  
Carlos had only been in bed for about an hour, having woken up early and come to check on Cecil, finding him devoid of space-eating tail and wings.  
"Am I all me again?"  
Carlos smiled and wrapped warm arms around Cecil.  
"I can think of a good way to find out, but gimme an hour to sleep in first." 

Cecil didn't ask the question that had got lost with Carlos's phone. He thought he knew the answer already. 


	22. Kidnap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what are those yellow helicopters for and why are they following the scientists?

Cecil watched the sky, frowning. He knew about the blue secret police helicopters. He knew about the world government black helicopters. He officially did not know about the raptor-painted helicopters that caused such a panic a few months back after local people complained that the children were getting out of control.  
The yellow ones were new and appeared without warning, always in groups of three, hovering or circling before moving on. From the ground, he couldn't tell what they were looking at, or perhaps looking _for._  
Even Josie, normally calm, sane old woman Josie was concerned enough to call Cecil at the radio station to report that she had watched the new arrivals, observed through her binoculars and they were definitely up to something. _Not from round here,_ she had said in her message, _Whatever they want, I hope it is not me._  
Cecil knew about Josie's prophecy. Night Vale would fall when she did. She was clear on one point: the prophecy did not say _if._  
He continued to watch, head angled down but eyes looking up so much it hurt, until the three yellow whirring machines left to cast their dark shadows somewhere else. 

Cecil's thoughts turned back to his new employers. The old station management had vanished almost overnight, the strange sounds and occasional clouds emanating from under the office door disappeared and were replaced by smiling faces and an _open door policy_ that made the Night Vale born-and-bred employees shudder.  
Despite the open door management policy, he and his co-workers had no idea who their new employers were.  
Cecil checked the time. He started to pull his phone out of his pocket, then pushed it back as he remembered and smiled. Instead, he looked at his watch. Carlos's watch. The one he said told the exact time. He was about to be exactly five minutes late, but he consoled himself by reasoning that Carlos was usually at least ten minutes late and probably would not notice. 

Sure enough, Cecil scanned the cafe and saw no sign of his scientist. He ordered for them both and sat checking his emails until he heard the familiar _hi, Cecil!_ and comfortable presence beside him. Things were better, things were good between them since they both realised, from looking at the same incident from different viewpoints, that they wanted what they already had.  
"No more scales? talons? breathing fire? Politicians propositioning you?"  
Cecil smiled.  
"No, as far as I can tell I am back to my usual self. And you have not needed rescuing from local wildlife?"  
Carlos shook his head and ran a hand around Cecil's shoulders as he sat down and reached for his coffee.

"I noticed the helicopters. They have been above the lab, three of them, Rochelle says four times they circled then flew off and came back again. I don't think we have broken any local laws this week. Do you have any information about them?"  
Cecil stared carefully at the table and tapped out a message as he said aloud that he knew nothing and they shouldn't worry about asking silly questions like that. When he finished tapping, Carlos took his hand and nodded. The scientists would not leave the lab without checking the sky was clear first.

Carlos had been skeptical about Cecil's obvious paranoia over his new employer and now the helicopters, until a couple of days earlier when he had built an extra-sensitive magnetic field detector to help him avoid any further unfortunate accidents involving walls, nails and electrical cables in the basement. For a demonstration he had swept the new device over the walls in the lab to impress Rochelle with how effective it was. Three hours later, between them, working in silence, they had a handful of listening devices piled on the workbench. When Cecil came round and saw them, he wrote three words on a scrap of paper, held it for the scientists but nobody else to read, then burned it in the bunsen burner that the scientists kept lit mainly for ambience.  
 _Put them back._

Cecil repeated his coded warning as he stirred his second coffee and Carlos tapped out _ok_ on his knee in return.  
"Should I come to your place later? I'll cook if you want."  
"Mm, yes. My show might run late, there is a lot of news today."  
"Oh. I can fit in with that but dinner will be really late, maybe I should bring takeout."  
"No, you're not getting out of your turn at making real food. You still owe me for that terrible stir fry. Umm, if it is not too forward, I got you something."  
Carlos smiled and raised his eyebrows.  
"You got me something? You didn't have to do that."  
Cecil smiled and slid a key across the short distance between their hands on the little table.  
"You can let yourself in and when I get back you can help me practise that thing I'm not supposed to talk about."  
Carlos leaned in close and spoke in a voice that made Cecil shiver.  
"Which _thing_ would that be, one of your special powers or mine?" 

Carlos did as he was asked and checked the sky before leaving the lab with Rochelle to collect their latest batch of data logging equipment from the sand wastes. Cecil had frowned and asked questions when Carlos had explained a few days earlier what everything did.  
"This one records air temperature and ground temperature via these two probes, you see that one sticks up and this one is in the ground spike and..."  
"But does it measure sound levels?"  
"No. This other one measures humidity and light levels but..."  
"What about audio frequency analysis?"  
"Uh, no but I can't see why... anyway, this one here measures air pressure, wind speed and direction. It's called an..."  
"Really, Carlos, these have nothing to do with the weather at all. I thought you were a scientist!"  
Carlos opened his mouth to argue back but closed it and rolled his eyes when he saw Cecil laughing at him. 

The sky looked empty apart from a single black helicopter. Rochelle brought the truck round and Carlos got in. As they reached the first monitoring location and searched for the little coloured flags that marked the positions of their electronics, three yellow helicopters passed overhead. Rochelle tapped Carlos on the arm and pointed up.  
"Abort? Run for cover?"  
"No, that can't have seen us. We're wearing our desert lab coats and the truck is fithy so they probably wouldn't see us unless they were specifically looking for us."  
"Movement is easier to see than stillness I suppose, would that mean we'd be better to freeze than to run if they came back overhead?"  
"Yeah, maybe. Best keep listening for them just in case. Cecil is a bit paranoid but that does not mean he's wrong."  
The two scientists gathered their devices and drove to the next location, one driving, one searching the sky. 

Cecil was having a bad day at work. The new management wanted to talk to him and he did not want to listen. He wanted to respond even less. They were asking about scientists.  
"Cecil, a little bird told us that you have contacts in the local scientific community. That would be so good for your employment prospects with us, if it were the case that you could help the company to further its scientific interests."  
"What exactly are you saying?"  
"Oh nothing specific yet, Cecil, just that there will be a time when you can choose to help us. When we need a new scientist over at headquarters. We do get through scientists, we need one with... staying power. Stamina. New blood."  
"I don't see how I can help you."  
"Don't you? Perhaps you need to open your eyes and look a little harder. What was your scientist's name again, was it Rochelle? Or Carlos?"  
The smiling face watched Cecil's expression and smiled even wider.  
"Carlos. Yes, it was Carlos." 

Carlos, out in the sand wastes, scanned the sky to pinpoint the sound of rotor blades. He called to Rochelle.  
"Ell! There, three of them again."  
They stood still but had been seen. Just before the sound of the single helicopter coming in to land as its companions waited above prevented meaningful communication, Carlos shouted to Rochelle to take the truck and go back to town. She ran to the truck under the cover of the local dust-storm thrown up by the downdraught and drove away. One helicopter followed but turned back after a moment. Carlos called Cecil and shouted a message.  
 _Hey Cecil, yellow landing near me, sand wastes just beyond John Peters's farm. Any idea what they want?"_  
Two figures ran, crouched down, out of the helicopter.  
"CARLOS?"  
He nodded.  
The figure closest to him pinned his arms against his sides as the other clamped a mask over his face and his world went swimming.

Cecil replied to Carlos's message as soon as he could but got no answer. He did the next best thing and called Rochelle. Rochelle told him more about the helicopters but she had not seen Carlos or heard from him. All he could do was ask Intern Vithya to start tracking sightings of the helicopters, send a clandestine message to Tamika during his show and hope. 

Tamika had news. Her message, written in tomato sauce inside the lid of a pizza box of a takeout order sent to Cecil, said that the book group had been spying on the scientists for practice, watched the helicopters that flew in the wrong direction after circling above the sand wastes, landing briefly and setting off towards Radon Canyon. Cecil left the pizza in the break room after his show and headed out of town. 

It was dark. Very dark out by the canyon as if even the Moon knew to hide its face and refuse to see. Cecil drove right up to the new building that housed the town's fastest expanding employer. He had seen the leaflets and recognised the sun logo with the triangle inside and the big orange S in the centre. _Look around you, Strex. See what is coming._  
He walked up to the building, keeping his face neutral and his walk relaxed. He was just some employee come to see the new headquarters. Nothing more. The best way to look unsuspicious was to act like you had every right to be there, he decided. No skulking in the shadows tonight.  
He buzzed at the door and said his name. A security guard let him in. Cecil was relieved, he got on very well with people trained to follow orders without thinking.  
 _"A scientist was escorted here today. Bring him to me. Also the old woman."_  
"Uh, I don't know..."  
 _"Check your records and find out where the scientist is."_  
The security guard tapped at a screen and shook his head slowly, muttering _no no no no no_.  
 _"Explain the problem to me."_  
"The scientist is here, the old woman is not, but I may not leave the desk. I have called for backup." 

_Shit_  
Cecil thought that dealing with a private profit-driven corporation would be as easy as dealing with the police.  
 _"Cancel your request for backup"_  
"It's too late sir, there is no cancel signal. I'll have so much paperwork now."  
A side door opened and two more guards arrived. Cecil went straight on the attack.  
 _"You, and You, bring me the scientist from Night Vale."_  
They looked uncertain, but complied. Carlos was brought out smiling and giggling. Cecil got him as far as his car before the alarms went off. He drove, thankful that in the sand wastes grit tends to make mechanical barriers stick open. Especially when handfuls are poured into the mechanism in advance. 

He shouted as he raced down the road to the highway.  
"WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?"  
"Hahaha! Some Heeheeheeehee gas, there was a mask."  
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT WAS?"  
"Maybe, you know, hahaha laughing gas? I feel all.... weird. You're funny."  
Carlos giggled to himself and lay back in his seat.  
Cecil grinned despite his fears. Giggly Scientist was cute.  
In his rear view mirror, he suddenly saw three bright white lights. 

He slewed the car round and stopped, got out. This was it, this was why he had his power, the one he had been practising with Carlos. Sure, removing his boyfriend's clothing without actually touching it, just by wanting it _really_ badly, was entertaining, but a pointless skill since he saw no particular use for that kind of self-denial.  
He did not spoil the strength of his latest power by wanting to touch the helicopters.  
Cecil very briefly wondered, just a flicker of doubt, if he could use his skills to _stop_ motion rather than initiate it. Or if the size of the object or the size of the physical force would make a difference. He had practised on Carlos's clothing, on Carlos himself until told to stop it, on small items around his apartment and had taken the opportunity to help Carlos reorganise the furniture in his horrible little apartment in a futile attempt to try to make more space.  
But to stop a whole helicopter? Three of them? 

In a sudden attack of understanding of the laws of physics, Cecil caused the front helicopter to rise far enough and slow so that the second passed just under it. He let go, pushing down in his head and the first fell, knocking them both out of the sky in a fireball. The third rose sharply and turned, heading for home. Cecil used his power to bend one of its rotors out of alignment and, after an erratic few seconds flight, it fell to the ground. 

Carlos came round properly in Cecil's bed, wearing Cecil's pyjamas. He clutched his head and groaned.  
"Hello there, scientist! How do you feel?"  
"Terrible. Did I get drunk?"  
"No. For now let's call it a science related incident. Sleep it off." 

Cecil made sure Carlos had breakfast and headed to the station. He went straight to the station management office with the wide open door and the staff with wide open smiles.  
"Who is in charge?"  
"I am, for now."  
The voice belonged to a bland looking man with a face that betrayed no emotion.  
"My name is Daniel. What can I do for you on your day off?"  
 _"Tell whoever is actually in charge that Carlos is not..."_  
Daniel laughed.  
"Really, Cecil, that will not work on me. I was chosen especially for my resistance to persuasion. I will pass on your message as an act of goodwill, although involving your scientist so early was just a little demonstration." Daniel dropped the fake hilarity. "An expensive one, as it turns out. Pilots are difficult to recruit. Understand that you have a function to inform the community of certain facts that we decide they want to know, and nothing else. We can be persuasive in our own ways." 

Cecil went home to find Carlos still lingering over coffee. He hugged Carlos tightly enough to make the scientist ask what was going on.  
"Promise me that you will be careful. Have nothing to do with StrexCorp. Promise that?"  
"The people who have offered to buy out the lab? Yes, I promise. It was a terrible deal."  
"Carlos, be really careful."  
Carlos took Cecil's face in both hands and kissed him.  
"Cecil, I know. This time, I promise I know."  
Carlos kissed Cecil again, lingering gently afterwards.  
"So I thought after my kidnap and rescue I could take the morning off to say thank you to my very sexy superhero boyfriend. You okay with that idea?"  
"Mmhmm. Sometimes I wish I could slow down time and make moments like this last longer.  
Carlos smiled and kissed Cecil harder, fingers working at shirt buttons. In a place where time barely functioned, that sounded like a wonderful idea. 


	23. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil has no idea that he can control time and almost causes a disaster.  
> Good thing there's a scientist on hand.

Carlos expressed his opinion that it was shaping up to be the hottest day since he arrived in Night Vale. It was early for Cecil, only around eight in the morning. Carlos withdrew back into the apartment from Cecil's small balcony, closing the curtains against the relentless ingress of infra-red radiation. 

Cecil stretched and yawned, sprawled over the whole bed surface with a tiny corner of sheet over him more for comfort and reassurance than warmth. He reached for the coffee Carlos had brought.  
"Mmm come back to bed. Be late today."  
Carlos sighed and checked the clock. It was eight-fifteen.  
"I can't. You know, science doesn't always wait patiently."  
That was true, the last time he had slept in with Cecil his experimental _possibly bacteria, I dunno Dave, whaddaya think?_ culture gained sentience in his absence and Dave put the entire batch in the autoclave. Carlos had to start over and there were autoclave fragments still embedded in the plaster.  
It was Cecil's turn to sigh.  
"Oh come here, five minutes? Am I worth five minutes of precious science-time?"  
Carlos smiled and lay beside his boyfriend, wrapping warm arms around a warmer body.  
"Maybe six. But then I have to go to work."  
Some indeterminate time later after the most pleasurably interesting good-morning kiss he'd ever experienced, Carlos got up again to get in the shower. He checked the clock and smiled. It was eight-twenty-two. 

Cecil felt Carlos's absence and saw no point staying in bed. The station had better air con than his apartment. He showered, changed and braved the rapidly rising mercury, slipping in to the station building without alerting anyone other than the desk intern.  
His studio was his haven. Nobody else used it. There were other radio shows broadcasting out but only _The Voice of Night Vale_ used this studio. There was an adjoining booth for his producer, barely a cupboard with a glass partition and a matching electronic mixing desk. A kind of dual-control system. Cecil almost always worked without a producer, unless an intern was particularly interested in learning the job.  
Today, Intern Maureen was in the producer's booth already, busy working out what all the controls did. Cecil waved at her lazily as she snapped down the blind. 

He shrugged it off. Carlos had put a smile on his lips today that would take more than a moody intern to remove. Cecil pulled his notebook out, read over his last paragraph, made sure nobody could see him use the pen he stole from Carlos, and began to write.  
 _...Quint glared at Brody as Hooper left the bar in disgust. Was he trying to drive the man into his own wife's arms? Into their bed? Brody turned back to Quint and shrugged. He leaned over and ki..._  
"Cecil? I think I know how all of this stuff works now. Can I be producer for your show later?"  
"Sure Maureen, want me to show you what to do?"  
"No thanks." 

Cecil went back to his writing, rewarding himself with coffee and his favourite transformative fiction every time he finished an item for his show or recorded promotional material he was happy with. Adverts were so unimaginative, most sponsors just sent copy that included the name of the product, a basic description and information about where to buy it. He could do so much better. People had rung in to ask about his adverts before, that was a good thing, right? 

Carlos had a busy day. The lab was empty, his colleagues had called in or texted one by one with excuses for staying home today, not facing the heat. He took the opportunity to clear domestic chores that science normally displaced, occasionally texting Cecil with an update on his progress at all the trivial tasks that Cecil nagged him about neglecting.  
 _Cut the grass, what’s left of it whistled at me. I will investigate that effect when it is cooler._  
 _Cleaned up lab and apartment. Smells better now_  
 _Sorted out closet. There's space if you want to leave stuff here. Should I throw out the flannel shirt with the bloodstains?_  
 _Want to clean guttering but my ladder won’t reach._  
Cecil replied at last.  
 _where are you right now? Go outside._  
 _I am still outside, why?_  
Carlos yelled as his feet left the ground and he floated up under the influence of Cecil’s latest power. 

It did not go entirely as Cecil had planned. Carlos called him in panic.  
“CECIL! PUT ME DOW… NO! no! Just think calmly of lowering me gently to the ground. SLOWLYOHMYGOD SLOWLY!”  
“Carlos? Are you okay?”  
Cecil listened to the sound of Carlos breathing heavily for the wrong reasons, followed by a soft thump.  
“Cecil, NEVER do that to me again.”  
“Sorry. Um, so… so how high did you get?”  
“Are you laughing at me? You know your powers don’t always work on me, you just lifted _my clothing_ to the top floor of my block. With me in it. It is a good thing that the fabric and fastenings of my jeans are strong!”  
Cecil conjured a mental image of Carlos’s predicament and broke into uncontrollable giggles.

By breaking up the day into tasks and rewards and coffee, Cecil reached evening broadcast time. He felt uncomfortable. He switched on his mixing desk, fiddled with his microphone and spoke into it.  
"Maureen? Are you still there? Is it getting warm in here?"  
"Air con stopped working two hours ago, this building is going to be an oven later."  
The blind snapped up again and he saw Intern Maureen with her head on the desk, clutching a can from the break room vending machine to the back of her neck.  
"That stuff is really bad for you. They should get healthier drinks for all you interns."  
Maureen did not bother to reply. 

By the time Maureen hit the _On Air_ light and Cecil started his broadcast, he felt exhausted by the oppressive temperature in his studio. He felt as if he was speaking more and more slowly, head sinking to the desk and pulling the microphone down beside him. He rested one cheek on the cool wooden surface until it warmed up and gave no further comfort, then moved to another spot for any smidgen of relief. Eventually there was none.  
He continued to broadcast, feeling time slow down even more than Carlos claimed it did in Night Vale anyway. He glanced over at Maureen, struggling to rotate his head enough to see through the dividing window. She had her head on her desk too, lips slightly parted and eyes barely open.  
Another intern crawled in with a report of people dropping in the street, hearts and lungs failing to keep blood and oxygen moving. Cecil read it, but _just can’t be bothered…_  
He reached for the button that would play the weather and his eyes closed at last, just for a second.

Suddenly Cecil was cold and spluttering and awake. Carlos stood in the studio, an empty bowl in his hand and a worried expression on his face.  
"Cecil! Thank goodness!"  
Now Carlos was holding him, pulling him to his feet, and the bowl was on the floor. Cecil looked down.  
"Carlos? You're here. Here. Why, why is there ice on the floor?"  
"You almost stopped time completely. Finish your show somehow and I'll explain."  
Cecil shook himself and sat down as the weather sounded like it was finishing.  
"Can I say you saved us all?"  
"No, just make something up." 

Carlos sat beside Cecil as he finished the show. He scooted out the way as the intern brought coffee and smiled as Cecil said that there was a place he'd like to be. He waited for Cecil to start the sequence of overnight pre-recorded shows then took his hand and led him out into the stifling night.  
"What happened, Carlos?"  
"Time slowed down too much. People were struggling, if there is only _this instant _then there is no change. Our sense of time comes from changes in our environment, changes like the partial pressure of oxygen in the air in our lungs or the movement of blood in capillaries around our cells. If those changes stop, we die. Even the fusion reactions in the Sun were stopping, the dark Sun, devoid of energy would kill us all."__  
"Let me get this right. I... almost ended all of existence?"  
Carlos did not want to lay that accusation on his boyfriend.  
"Umm."  
"I notice that you are not saying no. How did you save us?"  
Carlos looked a little sheepish.  
"It didn't affect me. When I worked it out I ran to the station because car engines didn't work. You were almost gone. I dumped a whole bucket of iced water over you and the shock of the sudden cold brought you round and things just went back to normal, well you know, normal for here." 

Cecil drove them both back to the lab. Carlos had several messages waiting from Rochelle and Dave, demanding to know what was going on, followed by one just saying _Never mind._ He led Cecil up to his apartment.  
"Do you want anything? The kitchen is still a disaster area but there is some wine in the lab fridge and I could order takeout."  
Cecil let go Carlos's hand but only so that he could wrap both arms around him and rest his forehead on his shoulder.  
"I want to celebrate that we are still alive. Isn't that the best thing?"  
"Cecil, just existing at all is wonderful. That I exist with you, we exist in the same time and almost the same space is such a fantastic coincidence. I lo..."  
The rest of his sentence was cut off by Cecil's lips on his, Cecil's hands in his hair, Cecil's body pressing against his own. Cecil pulled back a little, far enough for eye contact.  
"Mmm were you saying something scientific?"  
"Nothing that can't wait." 

Cecil led Carlos through to his bathroom and undressed them both before turning the shower on and adjusting the temperature down. They got in, cooling after a difficult day, then walked naked through the apartment to the bedroom, shivering slightly as their damp skin dried in the night-time air.  
"What would have happened if you had not roused me?"  
"I don't know exactly, I hypothesise that local time would have stopped completely until you... Uh, I really don't want to think about it. That's an unusual feeling, normally I want to think about everything. Right now I want to think about you and me and how we fit together and..."  
Cecil smiled as Carlos realised he was rambling and stopped mid sentence.  
"It's okay, Carlos, we can talk about this stuff. Talk about what we want."  
"Oh. Do we have to? I'm a man of actions rather than words. Do you mind?"  
Cecil stroked along Carlos's jaw and kissed him again, weaving fingers through his hair, moving in close.  
"So, you were thinking about how we _fit together?_ Mmm, I want to know more about that. Tell me, even better, _show_ me." 

Carlos kissed Cecil as gently as always and steered him, backwards and eyes closed, onto the bed. He demonstrated how the form of their lips fitted each other, how his mouth fitted the graceful curve of Cecil's neck, how his tongue could curl out a perfect circle around a nipple and make him shiver.  
He showed Cecil how their hips fitted against each other, slightly offset, and how delightful the slight pressure and friction felt as they moved in phase with one another.  
He demonstrated how wonderfully warm he was, how well his lips and tongue adapted to the contours of Cecil's erection. In turn, Cecil told Carlos in smooth, soothing tones exactly what he wanted to be shown next.  
Carlos hummed his understanding and agreement, making Cecil twitch and moan a little as he tried to keep talking, to finish his suggestions. Carlos did as he was asked, breaking contact for only the moment it took to swing round and straddle Cecil, licking up the shaft of his cock and sucking the head back into his mouth, shifting weight and moving a hand over to stroke then clasp the base gently.  
Cecil felt for Carlos's knees either side of his shoulders, put his hands around Carlos's thighs, adjusted position a little then reached up to envelop the tip of Carlos's penis with his mouth. He nudged Carlos's knees out a little further to bring him lower and relaxed his head back onto the bed, humming in pleasure at the sensation of the warm exciting tingle in his groin coupled with the feeling of Carlos's cock in his mouth. They moved slowly, coordinated perfectly, in no hurry to end this heaven.  
Cecil came panting around Carlos's erection and vibrating a deep moan over it as Carlos matched the pace of his muscle spasms until he was spent. Carlos came a moment later as Cecil stroked a probing finger over his entrance and pushed in, circling in time against his own pulsating orgasm.  
After wards, they lay side by side, facing each other, gazing until they fell asleep. As Cecil drifted off, he thought about how much he wanted to be with Carlos, how he never wanted to lose him. _People should not be lost, I want always to be able to find Carlos, wherever he is._


	24. Void!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something odd in the annelid breeding colony at the college and Cecil gets a power more dangerous than anything so far.

Cecil woke up alone but warm with the memory of Carlos holding him, kissing him gently and whispering _good morning, see you later_ in his half-awake pre-coffee condition. Carlos would probably be at the lab by now, planning out all the science he would have to get through and, Cecil suspected, as he walked through the lab door all awareness of the rest of his life would recede into shadow.  
Science was a demanding demon and Cecil knew better than to compete with it for Carlos's attention. Instead he cooperated, thought of methods of using science as a way in to Carlos's consciousness. He wondered idly what excuse he could use to visit the lab that day. Perhaps a little research into community events would yield something that would give him opportunity to call in and say, _"Hi Carlos, I found out this thing you might be interested in, come out for coffee and then we can..."_  
And then we can.... Cecil smiled and moved over onto Carlos's pillow. His phone buzzed.  
 _Good morning again, I made fresh filter on my way out. By my calculations it will be ready by now x_  
Cecil smiled wider, Carlos remembered that he had to get up earlier than usual. Carlos remembered to text him from work on a non-scientific matter. Carlos was thinking about him. As he rolled out of bed and rubbed his face, Cecil wondered if Science was the jealous type. 

He drank coffee. Carlos was right, it was perfect. He had judged that ten minute window between too hot and too cold. Cecil texted him back.  
 _Thanks for the Goldilocks coffee xoxo_  
It would make Carlos laugh, that phrase they had been using ever since Steve the Jerk had turned up at the lab and spoiled a very promising lunch break because he was _just passing and wanted to tell you all about the aliens._  
Carlos had launched into a detailed scientific monologue about the conditions necessary for, and statistical probability of, the existence of extraterrestrial life in Night Vale, complete with pacing and hand waving until Steve made an excuse and backed out of the lab. Once Steve was out of sight, Cecil had whispered _Wow, saved by Science!_ as Carlos winked and smiled. 

Cecil sat in his kitchen and worked. He called all the likely places he knew that might have something interestingly scientific going on. The local college seemed the best bet, they planned an open day and the principal's PA told Cecil they needed a new science professor due to an unfortunate breach of health and safety policy involving a radioactive substance in the annelid tank. Cecil asked for more details, but the PA hissed at him _I said too much... they'll know it was me... stay away!_  
Cecil drank more coffee, too cold now, and thought about Carlos. Mostly about his hair and his jawline and his... labcoat. He was wearing his favourite one, leaning over a bench... Cecil paused that image for a few seconds, daydreaming. Carlos moved away from the bench, carrying something. Cecil frowned. This wasn't where he wanted his daydream to go at all!  
He closed his eyes. Jeez, what kind of boyfriend can't imagine... He frowned. Carlos was not, as his daydream instructed, going back to lean over that bench again. He was sitting down hunched over a clipboard with several glass reagent bottles beside him and goggles perched on top of his head. He was reaching for his phone, typing something.  
Cecil realised when the text arrived.  
 _Are you up yet? x_  
Just to be sure, he replied then concentrated on Carlos.  
 _Thanks for the coffee. Humour me, put those reagent bottles in colour order. Tell you why later._  
He saw Carlos frown at his phone, look around him then shrug and arrange the bottles from deep indigo to pale orange.  
Cecil got down to the lab as quickly as he possibly could. 

Carlos didn't know whether he was impressed or repelled by Cecil's new talent.  
"How did this one happen? I mean, what were you thinking about before, as you fell asleep?"  
"Why should that matter? I can't remember. I was thinking how happy I was to be with you."  
"Can you remember _exactly_? Cecil, it matters. The small details are so important in science."  
Cecil thought.  
"Something like I was happy to have found you and didn't want to lose you."  
"And now if you concentrate you can see where I am. Cecil, there are no coincidences in science."  
Cecil frowned and was silent for a few minutes.  
"Carlos, are you saying that I get whatever power I wish for?" 

They agreed that they needed to discuss it further. Carlos wanted to launch straight into a series of tests and experiments but Cecil had to go to work. In the lab break area, before he left, Carlos had a suggestion.  
"Try something, for science?"  
"Of course!"  
"Try concentrating on someone else, see if you can locate others."  
"Oh! okay."  
Cecil sat back and thought about Earl. He saw flashes of nothing.  
"I can't find Earl."  
"Oh. I'm sorry, I know you miss him." 

At the radio station, Cecil noticed that Daniel the producer was keeping a close watch on him. He requested that Intern Maureen should occupy the producer's booth instead but Daniel refused.  
There were still several hours before he went on air. Cecil looked in disgust at the official script that landed on his desk, closed his eyes and thought about Maureen. With a few false starts because he naturally tended to daydream about Carlos, still in the lab, he found her. Maureen was sitting in a classroom, watching a classmate write on the board. He tried with other people he knew.  
Josie was surrounded by sand and tall figures, he blinked that image away quickly.  
Rochelle was somewhere dark, he could only just make out Dave. They were... Oh.  
Cecil pulled himself back into the studio and read the script. Daniel was no longer watching from the booth so he set an intern the job of lookout and took out a pencil.  
There were several items to change, and some to add. He would be busy. 

But not so busy that he couldn't let his mind drift to thoughts of Carlos now and then.  
Carlos leaving the lab, going to his car.  
Carlos arriving at the local college, open day banners hanging heavy in the still air.  
Carlos being escorted up to the science block.  
Cecil ran out of the studio, knocking his chair over in his haste. He ran all the way to the college, desperately wishing for so many more useful powers, arriving out of breath. 

Cecil pushed through the main doors of the building, expecting resistance and finding none. The reception area appeared to be deserted. He concentrated. Carlos was... There! He ran out into the central quad, diagonally across the baked dirt that used to be grass and through another set of doors, under a sign declaring this to be the science block.  
He heard Carlos before he saw him. A yell, cut off halfway. He was losing, but fighting.  
Cecil burst in to the teaching lab. Benches upturned on the floor. Glassware smashed and shards sprinkled dangerously on all surfaces. Flame jetting from a gas tap on the demonstration bench. Cecil smiled when he saw the giant, transparent worm-like creature that had enveloped his favourite scientist.  
 _"Release him NOW"_  
The Voice had no effect. Cecil's smile widened. He closed his eyes, thought about the powers he could use to save Carlos and concentrated on the worm.  
A tiny patch of void opened up inside the worm's writhing body. A minuscule patch of _absence_ that grew as it sucked at the worm's substance, consumed it from within. Cecil leapt forwards and held on to Carlos as the creature disappeared into itself. Finally, the patch of void folded around itself and was gone. 

"What..."  
Carlos cleared his throat and moved to a sink to spew mucus out. He tried again.  
"What did you do? I came because someone called about an interesting mutation in the annelid breeding colony. When I arrived I was escorted over here, pushed into the lab and _that_ got hold of me."  
Cecil led Carlos out of the lab.  
"Are there more of them? Carlos?"  
"Probably, there was a colony. I should study them."  
"Not today."  
"What happened to it?"  
Cecil's smile returned.  
"I have asked so many times for a way to a _void_ danger. I guess the all-powerful beings who control my prophecy listened at last." 

Cecil drove Carlos back to the lab in his own car, stayed with him while he showered and changed then accepted a ride back to the radio station. During the short journey, Carlos warned Cecil to be careful what powers he asked for. They sat in the car outside the station.  
"I can control my powers."  
"So far. Cecil, summoning void is really dangerous. Probably the most dangerous thing you have been able to do. It's so immense, it would be so easy to get lost in it."  
"So far? Carlos, don't you trust me?"  
"Yes! It's not a question of trust. It's... Cecil, sometimes your abilities frighten me. I don't want either of us to get hurt."  
"I would never do anything to hurt you."  
"Please promise me you won't try manipulating the void again."  
"I have to get back to work. Thanks for the ride over here. See you later?" 

During his broadcast, Cecil managed to warn potential college students to avoid the college open day. He used his locate power to make sure Tamika Flynn really was safely hidden from his new employers and he made Daniel the producer so angry with a thinly-disguised appeal for action over the consensual collaboration of inaction, that he had to quit the studio and use the emergency broadcast hut on the roof.  
He went straight home after climbing down, narrowly avoiding Daniel in the corridor that spiralled its way past so many abandoned booths that still occasionally broadcast long-forgotten shows. One intern had a theory that when a new _Voice_ arrived, the old one turned into a ghost and haunted their old studio and a new studio would appear, pushing the old one back one space. Cecil didn't laugh at this, he hated the chill in the old booths and the occasional uncomfortable heat from Leonard Burton's studio next door. 

Carlos was still in the lab. Cecil concentrated on him until he was sure he would be busy for some time. He was researching roundworms.  
Cecil lay back on his sofa. He clutched an item in his hands, one of Earl's old cords from knot practice. He concentrated on Earl, his face, his voice, his laugh, the texture of his scars. He thought about places Earl liked, things he said, things he did, all those little habits that define us.  
He saw. He saw patches of nothing and almost imperceptible flashes of _something_ breaking through. He saw and felt the sucking, consuming void.  
He lay still, clutching at thoughts and feelings of Earl, fighting to remain in control of his consciousness. He directed himself back to Earl's face, smiling, and smiled in return.  
Slowly, oh so carefully, Cecil turned his mind from Earl to the void that surrounded him.  
 _"RELEASE"_  
Cecil woke with a jump. He had not expected Earl to pop back into existence in his living room, but he was disappointed all the same. 

Cecil gave up waiting up for Carlos and went to bed. He saw Carlos faintly, still in the lab, striplights humming and flickering a little.  
 _Quit for the night, you'll give yourself a headache. Are you coming over? xoxo_  
 _Quitting. Too tired to drive. Goodnight x_  
 _ok see you tomorrow? xoxo_  
 _Yes. Dinner? Be careful what you ask for as you fall asleep tonight x_  
Cecil was touched and annoyed all at once. Carlos cared about him but didn't trust him to be able to handle his powers. He lay awake for a while. _The trouble with not being able to see the future,_ he thought as he drifted into dreams, _is that I have no idea what powers to ask for. Void, I might need anything!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to wrap this one up, I think.


	25. Nothing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cecil gets his wish, at a price.  
> Carlos finds out that a scientist can be _too_ self-reliant.

Cecil felt odd. This was not in itself unusual, but the strange disconnected feeling didn't dissipate with extra coffee. He felt muzzy, as if suffering from an unjustified hangover. He fretted. He was _never_ sick.  
Carlos told him to come to the lab if he felt fit to drive, he could ask Dave to check him over.  
"No, I think I will stay home. I might feel better later. Urgh, I need more sleep."  
"Are you sure? I could come round, bring Dave? He used to be a medic before he diversified into the field of hypothetical exobiology."  
"No, I don't want to cause you any trouble. You have such important science to do."  
"Oh. Okay then. I'll call later."  
Cecil put the phone down, disappointed. Carlos told Rochelle about the call, since she had blatantly listened in to his half of the conversation, and she called him an idiot. She asked if he knew about the concept of hinting.  
Twenty minutes later, Cecil felt Carlos shake his shoulder.

Carlos was concerned. Dave had insisted that they take Cecil to the lab after an initial examination showed elevated temperature, raised pulse rate and dehydration. He called Rochelle to set up the cleanest corner of the room near the break area with a makeshift bed and to check the dates on his emergency medical supplies. When they arrived, Carlos carried clammy, borderline delirious Cecil in and hung around as Dave and Rochelle fussed over him.  
"Carlos, move please."  
Carlos stepped back out of Dave's way but couldn't prevent himself from inching forward again.  
"What's wrong with him? Is he going to be okay?"  
"Carlos, let me work. Please. I need to take blood, swabs from places I doubt even you have investigated and make sense of some of the weird stuff he said when Rochelle tried to take a patient history. Look, can you do me a favour? Go to the store and get some stuff? Rochelle will write you a list."  
Carlos didn't notice Dave wink at Rochelle as she started writing a list of things that would take Carlos the rest of the morning to track down.  
"Okay. You'll call if I'm needed? Won't you?"  
"Yes. Go." 

Cecil drifted in and out of reality, unsure of the shifts from real to unreal. He saw Earl in the void, waking up and battling strange creatures. He saw himself lying in bed with a tube in his arm. He saw Carlos floating in space with a dazed, goofy smile. He saw pink sand lit by a terrible brightness. He felt fear. He felt alone.  
He felt Dave collecting biological samples and swore at him. A hand clasped his. Not Carlos, smaller.  
"Sorry, Cecil, I bet that hurt. Dave has poor bedside manners."  
Rochelle growled _remember he's not just some biological specimen_ and Cecil held on to her hand. He floated back into a dream where he and Carlos shared their lives comfortably. Another jolt of pain brought him back to the lab.  
"Cecil? I don't know if you can hear me. I'm going to give you something for the pain and something to bring down your fever."  
"N..n...n....n..."  
"Is that a no? Are you sure?"  
Cecil shook his head and waved his free arm at Dave, eventually finding Dave's arm and pushing it away. 

Carlos returned early, having worked out that Rochelle's list was an exercise in timewasting after visiting the third different shop for the third unimportant item. He found Cecil sleeping and Dave hovering nearby.  
"He refused painkillers then fell asleep. Carlos, should we take him to the hospital?"  
Carlos looked at Dave's frown then at Cecil's peaceful expression.  
"No, I think he's better off here. You got him connected to the heart rate monitor so we can watch for any changes but he seems just to be asleep. I think there's an oxygen sensor, one of those finger clip things, came with the HRM?"  
Dave rummaged in the box and connected the grey plastic clip over the top of Cecil's middle finger. A new window of numbers appeared on the computer screen.  
"Looks normal. Carlos, are you sure he shouldn't be in hospital?"  
"Go take a look inside NV General then come back and tell me if you think it's a suitable place for sick people."  
Carlos pulled over a chair from the break area and settled with one hand holding Cecil's and the other clutching a book that he had no real intention of reading. 

Several hours later, Carlos had moved only to get coffee from the machine behind him and to walk around the lab, checking on the array of test results from Cecil's various samples to see if there was any new information. So far he had no sign of any unexpected poisons, blood glucose was within normal range and bacteriology results would not be available for at least another two days.  
Cecil still slept. He half-woke a few times, muttering unintelligibly and twitching his facial muscles into expressions that Carlos could only guess at. Vivid dreams held him, so real, so many versions of the same events replaying over and over. _Carlos floating, breathing, content. Carlos floating, lifeless and still. Carlos holding an umbrella in the desert. A desert without Carlos, a terrifying light rushing towards... An orange logo on his shirt. Smiling at Daniel._  
The dreams without Carlos were the worst. 

Cecil woke up. It was not sudden, he couldn't identify that one instant where he could say _I am awake_ instead of _I am dreaming._ He knew where he was although how he got there and how long he had been in Carlos's bed, connected to a laptop, was a mystery. He looked at his hand, studied the sticking plaster that peeled away to reveal a bruised puncture mark on his arm, traced with his eyes the path of the plastic tubing in his other arm that ended in a drip bag hung on a picture hook above his head.  
"Carlos..."  
Hoarse. He cleared his throat and swallowed with difficulty.  
"Ca..."  
The door opened and Carlos was there, holding him.  
"Cecil, oh thank the glowcloud. I have been so worried." 

Cecil stroked Carlos's hair and closed his eyes. He woke up again when it was light in the little room. The drip bag was gone, as was the needle in his arm, although the finger sensor and chest strap remained.  
"Hello again."  
Carlos sat in a chair by the bed. Cecil thought he looked exhausted.  
"Carlos." He tried to smile, tried to sit up.  
"No no no, lie back, you've been out for a while. Take it slowly. Drink some of this."  
A firm, warm hand on his shoulder pushed him back down then offered him a bottle of gatorade. Cecil plucked at the chest strap as he allowed Carlos to bottle-feed him.  
"Itches."  
Carlos lifted him forwards and up as his head swam. The warm hands removed the strap and gently rubbed at the pressure marks on his ribs. Cecil leaned forwards, his head on Carlos's shoulder and his arms around him. Carlos held him there as he slipped back into sleep. 

The next time Cecil woke it was dark again and he was ravenous. He pushed himself up carefully and swung his legs out of bed. He could hear no sign of Carlos and wondered if he had gone out. He stood up slowly, wobbling a little, then sat down again. It took a few tries, but he made it to the bedroom door.  
A sleepy voice called out.  
"Oh look who's up. You need the bathroom? Here..."  
Rochelle's arm looped around his waist and he leaned on her. She helped him to the bathroom.  
"I'm not supervising you in there. Leave the door open in case you need help. There's a clean towel, I think a shower might be a good idea. Carlos will be back in the morning. I made him go sleep at your place."  
"How bad do I smell?"  
"Really, really bad. I'll clean up the bedroom while you are in the shower and find some fresh clothes."  
"Sorry."  
They both laughed. 

Cecil looked dejected as Rochelle handed him another protein shake.  
"Is there any real food? Pizza? I bet Rico's is open."  
"You can have banana flavour or caramel. Banoffee if you mix them."  
"Urgh. I would even rather eat vegetables."  
They compromised. One shake and a bowl of Flaky-Os if the shake stayed down for half an hour.  
Carlos returned to find Cecil wrapping himself around the biggest bowl of breakfast cereal he had ever seen.  
"Carlos! Thank gods. Rochelle won't let me have real food. Oh no... oh dear..."  
The cereal had not been a good idea. Rochelle shrugged.  
"Maybe he'll stop asking for pizza now." 

Over the next couple of days Cecil recovered. He felt the weakness leave him as he ate more normally and Carlos took him home when he insisted he wanted to go back to work.  
"You'll call if you need anything?"  
"Yes, Carlos."  
"And if you feel ill you'll call Dave straight away?"  
"Yes, Carlos."  
"And you know Rochelle is coming over this afternoon to take you to the radio station?"  
"Ye-es, Ca-a-ar-lo-o-os."  
"And I'll collect you tonight. I wish we had some idea of what made you ill. All the tests were normal."  
"Then I must be normal. I'll be okay. Go on, I have a show to write." 

Cecil could feel it. He was far from normal. There were the disturbing visions that felt like dreams but happened in flashes when he was awake. There was the buzzing feeling he got if he put his hand too close to a power outlet. There was a twitch in his muscles that made him want to burn off energy. And wherever he looked he could _see_ the void between the particles that make up the stuff of existence. If he tried he could reach out and _touch_ it. He told none of this to the scientists. They had worried over him enough. 

Cecil sat down to write. He wondered idly what Carlos was doing, how he was settling back into his usual habits.He closed his eyes, concentrated and found Carlos answering the phone in the lab, almost hopping with excitement, probably over some science investigation.  
He was half right. Carlos had two investigations running concurrently. One, scientific, was about a possible sighting of an alien flying vehicle over the sand wastes. The other was a very non scientific search for a better apartment.  
It was the first of these that made Carlos bounce up and down on his toes as he listened to the farmer who had called in to say she was watching it hover above her imaginary cornfield _right now._ Carlos wrote down the coordinates the farmer gave and ran for the truck, grabbing Dave on the way past.  
"Come on, exobiologist, lets get out there and get facts before Steve steps in to fill the gaps in everyone's knowledge."  
A flash in Cecil's brain, like a memory of something that had not yet happened, made him run for his car and drive out to a farm on the edge of the sand wastes. 

The farmer hadn't exaggerated anything more than the yield of her crops. The craft appeared to hang in the air, slowly descending as Carlos and Dave watched. Cecil hung back in case Carlos or Dave saw him and insisted on taking him home again.  
Cecil watched the craft land with a hiss and a _clunk_ as the landing gear settled. Carlos was videoing it with his phone. Dave was waving his danger-meter then thumping it, but it stayed well into the red. The farmer was muttering about _ruined crops_ and _who's gonna buy imaginary corn with alien slime on it?_  
Mostly Cecil watched Carlos. He watched Carlos's face show his delight, his enthusiasm, his joy at new discoveries. His fear as.... No. Oh no.  
Cecil broke cover as the green scaly alien knocked Dave over then reached a two-taloned hand out towards Carlos, grasping at the front of his lab coat and staring into his eyes until his head lolled back. Cecil yelled incoherent rage-filled syllables as he battered bodily into the interloper, knocking it sideways. He stood over it, breathing deep but controlled.  
"You have no right to be here. Night Vale is mine." 

The alien creature picked itself up and dusted off its uniform as another joined it.  
"Interesting."  
It stared at Cecil. Cecil stared back.  
"Very interesting. You speak our language. Where did you learn?"  
 _"Go home. Go anywhere that is not here."_  
"And you are as impervious to our voice as we are to yours. _Very_ interesting."  
"We will have to fill in a report, Captain, this community is already occupied. One of the lost colonies, perhaps?"  
"Shame. It is a really nice desert. We might have to go back to Las Vegas. Science officer, tell the navigator to plot a new course but avoid using domestic satnav. I swear that maps app you downloaded couldn't find its cloaca on a sunny day."  
The other reptilian being shuddered visibly and licked its eyes clean with a rapid flick of its forked tongue, an action that somehow reminded Cecil of the high school football coach.  
"I know nobody bats a third eyelid at us there but please, Captain, can we find somewhere a little less freaky than Las Vegas? This place is interesting."  
"As I said, Science officer, we are moving on. You know protocol demands that if there is already an occupying force, even a very ancient, forgotten one that has compromised itself by interbreeding to produce..." it waved at Cecil, " _this_ kind of thing, we may not encroach upon its territory."  
As they climbed back aboard, Cecil was almost sure he heard the one designated Captain ask the other _and how is your littlest one now? Has it gained full control over manifestation of its tentacles yet? Oh that is very precocious! What an absolute darling. I can't wait to see it devour its first..._

Cecil checked that Carlos and Dave were breathing and not injured, rolled them onto their sides and left them for the farmer to find once she had finished her phone call to Steve The Jerk Carlsberg. He reached his car then ran back and deleted all of Carlos's video footage. 

Later, Rochelle took Cecil to work as promised although he said he could drive himself.  
"Cecil, I believe you but Carlos would kill me if anything bad happened to you that I could have prevented."  
"Is Carlos working late tonight?"  
"I think he has an appointment to see a new place. A condo. He's sick of living in that tiny apartment attached to the lab. Its only redeeming feature is that it's cheap. We might use it as a crash pad for whoever is working lates."  
"Oh. He never mentioned he was looking for a new apartment."  
"No? Maybe he's waiting until he finds the right place. You know how he is with personal stuff."  
"Uh, what kind of place is he looking for?"  
"Cecil, I have told you everything I know." 

Cecil asked everyone for an opinion, even his intern who simply stared, shook his head and backed off slowly.  
"Do you think we've been together long enough to consider moving in together? Properly I mean, not this alternate nights at each other's place thing we've had going lately?"  
Later, another friend shrugged at him as he asked,  
"Do you think he's looking at a condo for _us?_ Or is it _hey Cecil, I got myself a condo, you can come round for dinner?_ "  
At last an intern found the courage to speak up.  
"Umm, Mr Palmer, sir? The condos are really big news. You must have missed all the leaflets and announcements due to being in a coma or something. Look."  
The intern held out a sheet of yellow paper with bold, black print.  
 **Condos for sale!** _Affordable luxury! Make an appointment with one of our advisers BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!_

As he touched the leaflet, Cecil's head swam. He dropped it onto the desk and his head cleared again. He shook out his shoulders and rubbed his face. It was probably nothing. Carlos would call if there was a problem.  
Actually, he thought a moment later, that was the problem. Carlos _wouldn't_ call if there was a problem. It would never occur to Carlos to ask for help. Cecil called a few people to ask them to keep an eye on whatever was happening at the condo sales office and relaxed back into his chair, thinking about Carlos. He huffed as his phone rang, cursing the lack of privacy at work.  
It was Carlos.  
"Carlos! Where are you?"  
"Cecil? I'm... I'm looking at condos. I thought I could get one. For us. They're weird, I touched one and I saw things inside..."  
"Carlos, please be careful. Don't do anything without..."  
"Rows of flasks and machines and clipboards and I wanted to... Oh! I'm next. I have to go or I'll lose my place. I love you."  
The phone went silent. Cecil's brain sifted through what he had just heard and focused on one phrase. _For us._

Cecil's spies reported back and the news made him very concerned. He was broadcasting and did not dare leave the studio, Daniel was watching and waiting for him to make a mistake. Waiting for an excuse to bring in an approved presenter. He suspected that Daniel didn't see his value as the _Voice of Night Vale_ since he himself was completely unmoved by it.  
Carlos called back and Cecil switched to a pre-recorded message.  
"Carlos? Are you okay?"  
"Cecil! I got one! I got us a condo. It is not what I expected, but it might be different inside. I'm going in."  
"Carlos, wait..."  
But the phone went dead again. Cecil lined up recorded messages and a good weather track and ran from the studio. As he cleared the influence of the building he concentrated on locating Carlos. He found him.  
Carlos floated motionless inside a black cube. 

Cecil barely hesitated. As his hand touched the smooth wall it yielded to his push and allowed him to enter. He made for Carlos slowly, impeded by the substance of the cube. He saw Carlos smile contentedly and his hand twitch as if writing.  
He saw _mountains._  
Cecil pushed on and on, never seeming to reach Carlos. He battled against the cube for hours or more. He needed a different approach. Cecil felt his spine tingle as he drew power from the cube and discharged a crackling array of forked lightning bolts through the material of the cube.  
It cracked along the discharges for just long enough that Cecil could lunge for Carlos and take hold of him. The cracks sealed around them, immobilising them together. Cecil focused instead on the spaces between the substance of the cube, the inter-molecular gaps and the vast nothingness between the nucleus and the electrons of each atom. He moved those voids around to force a pathway. The cube fought back but Cecil had done enough. They passed safely out into the open air.  
He lowered Carlos and sat down. Carlos coughed twice and sat up.  
"Cecil? It was perfect. It was..."  
"Not real. Nothing is truly perfect until we accept it completely with all of its flaws and faults. Carlos..."  
"Cecil? I would like for us to have a home together. Will you move in with me?"  
Cecil laughed. "Yes! That would be neat! But not here." 

Later, they agreed that maybe a small house with a yard would be better and that they would look for a place together. Cecil's listeners helped with many, many suggestions and it was only a week later that they stood in an empty living room, smiling at each other, saying _this is the one._

After their first night in their new home, Cecil woke up feeling tired and dull. Nothing seemed to work. No sparks, no strength, he couldn't locate Carlos when he was in the next room. Carlos suggested it might be stress, after all Cecil was overdue a visit to check on his prophecy.  
This time Carlos went with him and waited in the reception area. Cecil was not gone for long.  
"That's it. That's over."  
"For another year? Cecil, are you okay?"  
"It has changed. I'm still the _Voice_ because the elders have no control there, apparently it's a genetic thing, something to do with my ancestors from way back when. But the rest of it, the _powers,_ they say I won't get them ever again."  
"Oh? Did they say why?"  
Cecil smiled and took Carlos by the hand.  
"Something like _Now you have your scientist you don't need us any more. Look after each other well and do not let anything separate you."_  
Carlos smiled back.  
"Cecil? Right now I can't think of anything that could keep me away from you." 


End file.
